
Class 
Book 



^L 



Copyright}! . 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



• » 

Ihe GOSPEL OF 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

Jlccording to ZM.. (<5KCahendra), 

a Son of the Lord and Disciple 



OR 



THE IDEAL MAN FOR INDIA 
AND FOR THE WORLD 




PART I 



PUBLISHED BY SAN FRANCISCO VEDANTA SOCIETY 

2963 WEBSTER STREET 
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. 



i zl ' 



A Reprint from Madras Edition 



Copyrighted, 1912, 
By "Professor <M. &£• Q"Pta 



Printed at the HINDU TEMPLE 

2963 Webster Street 

San Francisco, Calif., U. S. A. 



£CI.A3J.44l/6 



LETTERS ON THE 
GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

FROM 

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 



Dear M., 

C'est bon mon ami — now you are doing just the thing. Come 
out man. No sleeping all life; time is flying. Bravo! That 
is the way. 

Many many thanks for your publication — only I am afraid 
it will not pay its way in a pamphlet form. * * * Never 
mind pay or no pay — let it see the blaze of daylight. You 
will have many blessings on you and many more curses — but 
Vaisaho sada \ala banata sahevci*. 

This is the time. 

Yours in the Lord, 

(Sd.) VIVEKANANDA. 
October, 1897. c/o Lala Hansraj, Rawalpindi 



; That is always the way of the world ! 



Dehra Doon, 

24th November, 1897. 



My Dear M, 

Many many many many thanks for your second leflet. It is 
indeed wonderful. The move is quite original, and never was 
the life of a great teacher brought before the public untar- 
nished by the writer's mind as you are doing. 

The language also is beyond all praise, so fresh, so pointed, 
and withal so plain and easy. 

I cannot express in adequate terms how I have enjoyed 
them. I am really in a transport when I read them. Strange 
isn't it? Our teacher and Lord was so original, and each one 
of us will have to be original or nothing. I- now understand 
why none of us attempted his life before. It has been reserved 
for you, this great work. He is with you evidently. 

With all love and namasfaar, 

(Sd.) VIVEKANANDA. 



(P. S.) Socratic dialogues are Plato all over — you are entirely 
hidden. Moreover, the dramatic part is infinitely 
beautiful. . Everybody likes it — here or in the West. 

(Sd.) V. 



CONTENTS 

Pages 

Introduction - - - - - 1 — 20 

Section I. — Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineshwara 
with M., Narendra (Vivekananda) and Other 
Disciples - - - - -21—47 

Section II. — Visit to Pandit Ishwara Chandra Vidya- 

sagar ------ 48 — 78 

Section III. — Sri Ramakrishna at the Temple of 
Dakshineshwara with Narendra (Vivekananda), 

Rakhal, M., and Other Disciples - - 79— 94 

Section IV. — Steamer Trip with Keshab Chandra 
Sen, Leader of the Brahma-Samaj — the Neo- 

theistic Movement in Bengal - - - 95 — 1 18 

Section V. — Sri Ramakrishna with Keshab Chan- 
dra Sen at Lily Cottage - 119 — 131 

Section VI. — A Day with Sri Ramakrishna at the 

Temple at Dakshineshwara - - - | 32 — 142 

Section VII. — Visit to Surendra's Garden - - 143 — 156 

Section VIII. — Visit to a Hindu Pandit and Preacher 1 5 7 — 1 69 

Section IX. — Sri Ramakrishna at the Temple (Dak- 
shineshwara) ----- 170 — 190 

Section X. — Sri Ramakrishna at the Temple of 
Dakshineshwara, with Narendra (Vivekananda) 

and other Disciples - - - - 191 — 203 

Section XI. — Sri Ramakrishna at the House of Bala- 
ram, a Disciple, with Narendra (Vivekananda), 
Girish, Balaram, Chunilall, Latoo, Narayan, M., 
and Other Disciples - - - - 204 — 227 

Section XII. — Sri Ramakrishna at Shyampukur 
(Calcutta) with the Disciples; and Ishan, Dr. 
Sarkar and Others - 228 — 242 

Section XIII. — The Master at Shyampukur, Calcutta, 

with His Disciples - 243—258 

Section XIV. — Sri Ramakrishna at Cossipore Gar- 
den with Narendra (Vivekananda), Rakhal, 
M., Girish, and Other Disciples - - 259—268 




THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 
INTRODUCTION 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA— A SHORT SKETCH OF HIS LIFE 

Birth of Sri Ramakrishna — His father Khudiram and mother Chandramani — The primary 
school — His daily worship of Raghubir, his household God — Mixing with holy men — 
Listening to the recital of the Sacred Books — Beholds a miraculous Light of Glory — 
Comes down to Calcutta — Sees God at the Temple of the Universal Mother at Dakshi- 
neshwara — 'Like one mad' — Thrown into the company of holy men in the Temple — 
Listens to the recital of the Vedanta by Totapuri — Practises austerities according to the 
Sacred Books —Talking with the Mother of the Universe — His ' members near and dear to 
him' — His devotees — Ramakrishna and the Brahma-Samaj — Reconciliation of all Religions 
— His female devotees— The communion of devotees. 

(£RI RAMAKRISHNA was born in a village called 
Kamarpukur, in the district of Hughli, Bengal, on 
Wednesday, the 20th of February, 1834, or the 10th 
of Falgun, 1 756 Saka, the second lunar day of the 
light fortnight. He came of a highly respected, though poor, 
Brahman family. The village of Kamarpukur is about eight 
miles west of the sub-division Arambag, formerly called 
Jehanabad, and about twenty-six miles south of Burdwan. 

Ramakrishna's father, Khudiram Chatterjee, was a great 
devotee. His mother, Chandramani Devi, was the imperson- 
ation of kindness. In her there was no guile. The family 
used formerly to live in a neighboring village called Deray, 
three miles from Kamarpukur. Khudiram, with the inde- 
pendence of a cultured Brahman, declined to appear before a 
law-court and give evidence in favor of the local magnate, the 
landlord of the village. The great man made the place too 
hot for Khudiram, and he left Deray with his family and 
settled in Kamarpukur. 

Sri Ramakrishna was called Gadadhar in his childhood. He 
received some lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic at 
the village primary school. Shuvankara, the well-known 
mathematician, whose arithmetic is widely read in Bengal, 
only, as he used to say, threw his head into confusion. 

After leaving the village school, the boy was not allowed to 
sit idle at home. His next duty was to attend to the daily 
worship of his household God, Raghubir. Every morning he 



2 GOSPEL OF SRI <RA MA KRISHNA 

chanted the name of the Lord, put on a holy garment, and 
gathered flowers. After ablutions, prayers 1 and meditation on 
the Supreme Being 2 , the One and Indivisible God, he wor- 
shipped Raghubir, also called Rama, one of the Incarnations 
of the Supreme Being, and the Hero of the well-known epic, 
Ramayana. He could sing divinely. The songs that he heard 
during theatrical performances 3 , he could recite from the 
beginning to the end. From a bo v y he was always happy. 
Men, women and children — everybody loved him. 

Holy men used to visit at the guest-house of his neighbors, 
the Lahas of Kamarpukur. Gadadhar, as Ramakrishna was 
then called, would go amongst these holy men and try his 
best to minister unto them with the devotion of a disciple. 

Brahman scholars were often, as is the practice amongst 
Hindus, engaged to read from the Sacred Books about the 
life and teachings of the various Incarnations of God, and 
sing and narrate the incidents in the vernacular. Ramakrishna 
would listen to these men with rapt attention. In this way he 
mastered the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagabat — all 
religious epics relating to Rama and Krishna who are both 
regarded by Hindus as Incarnations of God. 

When eleven years old, Ramakrishna was one day going 
through the corn-fields to Anur, a village near Kamarpukur. 
As he told his disciples afterwards, he suddenly saw a Vision 
of Glory and lost all sense-consciousness. People said it was 
a fainting fit; but it was really that calm and serene mood, 
that super-conscious state, called Samadhi, brought on by 
God-vision. 

After the death of his father, Ramakrishna, then seventeen 
or eighteen years old, went with his elder brother to Calcutta. 
The brothers came down to Calcutta with the intention of 
seeking their fortune. They spent some days at Nathair 
Bagan; thence they removed their lodgings to Gobinda 
Chatterjee's house at Jhamapukur. Ramakrishna was em- 
ployed by Gobinda to officiate as an assistant priest under 
him. In this capacity he came in contact with the Mitras and 
other respectable families of Jhamapukur who entrusted to 
him the daily worship of their household Gods. 

Rani Rashmani, a rich, pious Bengali lady, built the well- 
known Temple at Dakshineshwara, a village about four miles 
from Calcutta, in the summer of the Bengali year 1262, 

1 Gayatri. 2 Brahma. 3 Jatras. 



INTRODUCTION 3 

Thursday, May 31, 1855 A. D., on the day of the full moon, 
the 18th of Jaistha. The eldest brother of Ramakrishna, 
Pandit Rama Kumara, was appointed to be the chief priest 
of the Temple. 

Ramakrishna used often to come to the Temple to see his 
brother. Within a few days he was himself employed as an 
assistant priest. His second brother, Rameswara, also officiated 
as a priest from time to time. He left two sons, Ramlal and 
Sivaram, and one daughter, Lakshmi Devi. 

In the course of a few days, a change came over Rama- 
krishna. He was found sitting alone for long hours before 
the Image of the Mother 1 . Evidently his mind was drawn 
away from the things of this world. It was in quest of some 
Object not sought by men of the world. 

His people shortly arranged for his marriage. They hoped 
that marriage would turn his mind away from his Ideal World. 
His newly-married bride, Sri . Sri Saradamani Devi, was the 
daughter of Ram Kamal Mukhopadhyaya of Joyrambati, a 
village only four miles from Kamarpukur. She was only six 
years old at the time of her marriage (1859), while her 
husband was twenty-five. 

After his marriage, Sri Ramakrishna returned to the Temple- 
garden at Dakshineshwara. This was the turning-point of 
his godly life. In a few days, while worshipping the Mother, 
he saw strange Visions of Divine Forms. During evening 
service, his duty, amongst other things, was to wave 2 the lights, 
holy water, flowers, etc., before the Sacred Image. But filled 
with the Divine Idea as he was, he would begin the ceremony, 
but very often forgot to bring it to a close ! Indeed, he did 
not stop until his attention was drawn by the Temple people 
to the strangeness of his conduct. On other occasions, too, 
he would sit down to worship the Mother; but very often it 
was noticed that he was not going to stop at all ! Stranger 
still, he would place on his own head the flowers intended as 
offerings to the Mother of the Universe ! 

It was soon found by the Temple authorities that Rama- 
krishna was, in the present state of his religious feelings, incap- 
able of doing the duty of a priest any longer. Indeed, in the 
present state of those feelings, he went about like a man who 
was not in the right state of mind. Rani Rashmani's son-in- 
law, Mathoor, however, looked upon him in a different light. 

1 Kali or Consort of the Lord of Eternity. 2 Aratrika. 



4 GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

He called him a Prophet sent by God for the salvation of 
mankind. As for the daily worship of the Mother, Mathoor 
had another priest appointed to do the duty. 

Thus it came about that Ramakrishna could not go on with 
his work as a priest. Nor could he go on doing his duties 
as a householder. 

The marriage hath been only in name. He saith, 'Mother, 
O Mother!' night and day. Now he is like a stock or stone, 
or a figure made of wood ! Now he is found behaving like 
a person of unsound mind ! At another time he behaveth 
like a child ! He hideth himself from the sight of worldly- 
minded men! He liketh not those who do not love the Lord, 
nor doth he listen to any words except those of God ! He 
saith without ceasing, 'Mother, O my Divine Mother!' 

There was a guest-house in the Temple-garden. Holy men 
who had given up the world used to come there as guests. 
Totapuri, a holy man, stayed . there as a guest for eleven 
months. He it was who expounded to Ramakrishna the 
Vedanta philosophy. During the exposition, Totapuri ob- 
served that his disciple was no ordinary man, and that he 
used frequently to be put into a state of Divine Ecstacy 1 in 
which the finite ego goeth out of sight and becometh one 
with God, the Universal Ego. 

A Brahmani lady, who had also given up the world, came 
as a guest into the Temple a little before Totapuri. She it 
was who helped Ramakrishna to go through the practices 
enjoined by the Scriptures called the Tantras. She looked 
upon him as the Incarnation 2 of Chaitanya, the God-Man of 
Nadiya, and read before him the Sacred Books 3 relating to his 
life and teachings. 

Vaishnava Charana, a well-known Pandit amongst the 
Vaishnavas of the time, used often to come and see Rama- 
krishna. Once he took him to Colootola, a district in Calcutta, 
to witness the proceeding of a religious assembly 4 . The 
people there were a little shocked at the sight of Rama- 
krishna, then in a state of God-consciousness, stepping up to 
take the seat set apart for Chaitanya, the Divine Incarnation 
whom they all worshipped. Vaishnava Charana was the 
president of this religious assembly. 

Vaishnava Charana once said to Mathoor, son-in-law of 
Rashmani, then manager of the Temple, — 'The madness of 

1 Samadhi. 2 Avatar. 3 Charitamrita, etc. 4 Chaitanya Sabha. 



INTRODUCTION 5 

this young man is not of the ordinary kind. He is mad after 
the Lord!' Both Vaishnava Charana and the Brahmani lady 
found out that Ramakrishna was filled with the 'Great Idea' — 
the Divine Idea. Like Chaitanya he used to pass through 
three different states of religious consciousness, viz., the purely 
Internal State — in which there can be no outward conscious- 
ness; the Half-Conscious State — in which outward perception 
is not entirely lost; and the Conscious State — in which it is 
possible for one to chant the holy name of the Lord. With 
'Mother, O Mother!' ever on his lips, he would talk unto the 
Divine Mother without cessation. He would ask Her to 
teach him. He would often say, 'O Mother, 1 know not the 
Sacred Books 1 ; nor have I anything to do with the Pandits 
well-versed in them. It is Thou alone Whose words I shall 
hear. Teach Thou and let me learn.' 

The sweet name of Mother, Ramakrishna applied to the 
Supreme Being, God the Absolute, Who transcendeth all 
thought, all time and space. The Divine Mother once said to 
him, 'Thou and I are One. Let the end of thy life in this 
world be deep devotion 2 unto Me. Do thou pass some days 
in this world for the good of mankind. And there shall come 
unto thee many worshippers. Then thou shalt be pleased to 
see that there are in the world not only the worldly-minded, 
but also those that are pure and free from worldly desires, 
loving Me alone, their Divine Mother.' 

In the evening, at the time of divine service 3 , Ramakrishna 
would, amidst the sound of bells, cymbals and drums, cry out 
from the terrace of the Kuthi, saying, 'Come ye that love God 
and tarry not; O, how I long to see you all ! Come, my own, 
or else my life shall quit my body!' 

Keshab (Sen) saw Ramakrishna about the summer of 1875 
A. D. Keshab was then staying with his disciples in a garden 
at Belgharia, about three miles from the Temple-garden at 
Dakshineshwara. With Ramakrishna was his nephew Hridaya. 

Vishwanatha Upadhyaya, usually known as the Captain, 
visited Ramakrishna about this time. He was the represent- 
ative of the Nepal Government at Calcutta. Mahendra Kavi- 
raja and Mahimacharan met him shortly after. 

His disciples, some of those that were near and dear to 
him, first met him between 1879 and 1882. He had then 
passed the stage of 'madness for the Lord.' He was like a 

1 Shastras. 2 Bhakti. 3 Aratrika. 



6 GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

child, gentle and full of joy and gladness. Only he was, as a 
rule, in a state 1 of intense God-consciousness. Coming down 
from this plane he used to move about in his Ideal World. 
Verily, he behaved himself like a child five years old, with 
'Mother, O Mother!' always on his lips. 

About the end of 1879, came Rama and Manomohan. Ke- 
dar and Surendra came next; Chuni, Latoo, Nritya-gopal and 
Tarak also came about that time. Towards the end of 1 88 1 
and the beginning of 1882 came Narendra (Vivekananda), 
Rakhal, Bhabanath, Baburam, Balaram, Niranjan, M. and 
Jogin. In 1 883 and 1 884 the following disciples came and met 
Ramakrishna : Kishori, Adhar, Nitai, Gopal of Sinthi, Gopal 
Gunior), Tarak of Belgharia, Sarat, Sasi, Subodh, Sanyal, 
Gangadhar, Kali; Girish, Debendra, Sarada, Kalipada (Ghosh), 
Upendra, Dwija, Hari ; Narendra (junior), Paltu (Pramatha), 
Puma, Narayan, Tej Chandra, Haripada; Haramohan, Jogges- 
war, Khirode, Hajra, Jogin and Kishori of Krishnagar, Manindra 
(Khoka); Bhupati, Akshay, Nabagopal, Gobinda of Belgharia, 
Ashu, Girindra, Atul, Durgacharan, Suresh, Prankrishna, Nabai 
Chaitanya, Hariprasanna, Mahendra (Mukerjee), Preo (Muker- 
jee), the saint Manmatha, Binode, Tulsi, Daksha; Haris 
(Mustafi), Basak, Kathak Thakur, Sasi Brahmachari of Balli, 
Nritya Gopal Goswami, Bepin of Konnagar, Dhiren, Rakhal 
(Chatterjee), and others. 

The following also saw Sri Ramakrishna — many of them 
men of light and leading: Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidya- 
sagar, Pandit Sasadhar, Doctor Rajendra, Doctor Sirkar, Doctor 
Bhaduri, Bankim (Chatterjee), Mr. Cook of the United States, 
Mr. Williams (a great devotee), Mr. Missir, Michael Madhu 
Sudan (the poet), Krishna Das Pal, Pandit Dinabandhu, Pandit 
Syamapada, Doctor Ram Narayan, Doctor Durga Charan, 
Nilkantha; and Trailanga Swami, the great Saint of Benares. 
Mother Ganga of Brindaban also met him when he was with 
Mathoor during his pilgrimage to Brindaban. Mother Ganga 
regarded him as the Incarnation 2 of Divine Love. She was 
therefore unwilling to part from him. 

Before his immediate disciples ever met him, other well- 
known devotees had been to the Temple-garden to see 
Ramakrishna. Thus he came to know Krishnakishore, the 
venerable old Brahman of Ariada, Mathoor, Sambhu Mallik 
(an English-educated wealthy citizen of Calcutta), Narain 

1 Samadhi. 2 Avatar. 



INTRODUCTION 7 

Shastri (a Sanskrit scholar who read logic 1 at one of the colleges 
at Nadiya), Gouri Pandit of Indesha near Hughly, Achala- 
nanda, Chandra, Padmalochan, the court Pandit of a former 
Maharaja of Burdwan, Dayananda, the founder of Arya 
Samaj, and many others. It is needless to add that the inhab- 
itants of Kamarpukur, his native village, and those of Seore 
and Syambazar, etc., many of them intensely devoted to God, 
were amongst those that used often to meet him. 

Hie leaders of the Brahma-Samaj, with their disciples, often 
came in contact with him. Keshab Sen, Bijoy, Dina Bose, 
Pratap, Sivanath, Amrita, Trailokya, Krishna Binary, Manilal 
and Umesh amongst the older members; Hirananda, Bhawani, 
Nandalal, Benoy, Pramatha, Mohit, and many others amongst 
the younger members of the Brahma-Samaj, often met him. 
He, too, would often come amongst them. During the life- 
time of Mathoor, Ramakrishna saw Debendra Tagore, leader 
of the Adi Brahma-Samaj; and he once paid a visit to that 
Samaj during divine service. He paid a similar visit to 
Keshab's church when divine service was being conducted 
by Keshab; and to the church of the Sadharan-Samaj, one of 
the many sects into which the Society 2 of Brahmas has been 
split up. 

Sri Ramakrishna often visited Keshab at his house and 
rejoiced in his company and that of his followers. Keshab, 
also, sometimes alone and sometimes with bis disciples, often 
came to the Temple-garden at Dakshineshwara to see him. 
At these meetings Ramakrishna spoke for long hours about 
the Lord, and his audience listened with rapt attention to the 
words of wisdom that fell from his lips. Like an inspired 
prophet he spoke, and very often he was thrown into a state of 
Divine Ecstacy! His corporeal frame would become motion- 
less; his respiration stopped; his eyes moved not! All sense- 
consciousness would leave him, and he became filled with 
God-consciousness instead. 

At Kalna near Burdwan he met Bhagabandas Babajee, a 
Vaishnava saint The Babajee observed his unique state of 
Divine Ecstacy and said, 'Verily Thou art an Incarnation of 
God, eminently fit to take the seat set apart for Chaitanya.' 

Besides teaching the fact that God may be seen, his great 
object was to point out the harmony amongst all religions. 
He realized, on the one hand, the Ideal set up by each of the 

1 Nyaya. 2 Brahma-Samaj. 



8 GOSPEL OF SRI "RAMAKRISHNA 

various sects of the Hindu religion; on the other, the Ideal of 
Islam and that of Christianity. He recited in solitude the 
name of Allah, and meditated upon Jesus Christ. In a vision, 
he saw Jesus in His glory. In his chamber, he made room for 
the pictures not only of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, including 
Buddha, but also for that of Jesus. In that picture, Jesus is 
represented as delivering Peter who is about to be drowned, 
and as stilling the storm that was raised. The picture of Jesus 
is still to be seen in his chamber. English and American men 
and women may be found to-day squatting on the bare floor 
of that room, meditating upon God and upon Sri Ramakrishna. 

One day he said to the Divine Mother, 'O Mother, I long to 
see how Thy Christian devotees pray unto Thee. May it 
please Thee to take me to a place where they come together 
for divine service/ Some days after, he was found standing 
at the entrance of a Christian church in Calcutta, looking in 
and watching the divine service held within. Upon his return 
o the Temple-garden, he said to his disciples, 'I went to the 
church, but did not get in, lest the steward should not suffer 
me to enter the Temple here and worship the Mother/ 

Ramakrishna had devotees also amongst women. He 
would give joy to Gopal's mother by calling her by the sweet 
name, 'Ma.' He looked upon all women as Incarnations of 
the Divine Mother, and he worshipped them as such. Only 
he would warn men not to come in contact with women until 
they had realized them as such Incarnations, and until they 
had learnt to have a pure love for God. Indeed, he enforced 
this rule even in connection with women well-known for their 
purity, piety and deep devotion to God. To the Divine 
Mother he once said, 'O Mother, I will put a knife across my 
throat if any impure, lustful thought ariseth in my mind/ 

The number of his followers is large. Some of them are 
known and some unknown. It is impossible to name all. In 
this Gospel the names of many will be found mentioned. 
The following names may be added to the list of those who 
visited him during their boyhood: Ramakrishta, Puttoo, Tulsi, 
Sasi, Bepin, Nagendra, Upendra, Surendra (Gupta), Suren, 
Shanti, etc. Many girls also saw him. All these are at present 
his devoted followers. 

Many are those who have become and are becoming his 
followers to-day. Madras, Ceylon, the United Provinces; 
Kumaun, Nepal ; Bombay, Rajaputana, the Punjab ; and 



INTRODUCTION 9 

Japan ; all contain men and women who aspire to follow in 
his footsteps. Nay, the family of his disciples lieth scattered 
to-day not only in Asia, but also in America and Europe, and 
notably in the United States and England. 

THE TEMPLE-GARDEN 

/. The Master Teaching in the Temple r — It is Sunday. The 
devotees are free from work, and they come in numbers to 
the Temple-garden to see Sri Ramakrishna. The door is 
open to everybody. The Master freely talketh to all men 
irrespective of creed, color, sect or age. Holy men, be they 
novices or those that have attained the highest stage of spiritu- 
ality ; Hindus or Christians, or members of the Brahma-Samaj ; 
Hindus who worship God as the Primal Divine Energy , or 
those 2 who worship God as the Preserver (Vishnu); men, 
women ; all alike are coming to see the Master. Blessed art 
thou, Oh Rani Rashmani, for it is thy religious merit that 
hath caused this beautiful Temple to be raised up ! It is also 
due to thee that people are able to meet and worship this 
Prince amongst men, this Holy Image of the Divinity, which 
unlike clay or marble doth move about to the delight of all 
that love the Lord ! 

2. The Porch and the twelve Temples of God (the Father): — The 
Temple-garden is situated about five miles north of Calcutta 
on the banks of the holy river Ganges. Going there by boat 
one landeth on the broad brick-built steps of the ghat leading 
to the Temple. Sri Ramakrishna used to bathe at this ghat. 
East of the landing is the chandni (the porch). The roof of 
this building resembles an awning and is supported by pillars. 
The chandni is used especially at night by the Temple watch- 
men on duty. Their chests of mango-wood and one or two 
water-vessels (lotas) made of brass, are often found there lying 
about. The Baboos of the neighborhood often come here 
and take their seats before stepping down to bathe in the 
holy waters. They please themselves with gossip as they rub 
their bodies with oil. Many holy men and women belonging 
to the various sects of the Hindus come into the Temple and 
wait here until the hour is over for morning offerings to the 
Gods and they have partaken of the accepted offerings. 3 Not 
unfrequently a female worshipper 4 of the Mother is found 

1 Shakti. 2 Vaishnava. 3 Prasad. 4 BhairavL 



10 GOSPEL OF SRI ^AMAKRISHNA 

seated here. She hath given up the world and is dressed in 
ochre-colored clothes and holds in her hands the trident, the 
symbol of her order. She, too, will come into the guest-house 
and is waiting until the morning offerings have been presented. 
The chandni is exactly in the middle of the long row of 
temples dedicated to Siva, who symbolizes God the Father. 
The temples are twelve in number, six of them being to the 
north of the porch and the remaining six to the south. Pas- 
sengers by the boats which ply on the river point out to one 
another the twelve temples, saying, 'Look! yonder is the 
Temple-garden of Rani Rashmani!' 

3. The Temple of God (as Love Incarnate): — Next to this row of 
temples and the chandni, and situated east of them, is the court- 
yard. The yard rests on concrete paved with tiles. In the 
middle are two temples, one facing the west, the other the south. 

The first is situated to the north of the second and is dedi- 
cated to Radha and Krishna (God Incarnate manifesting 
Himself as the Incarnation of Divine Love). The Images of 
the Gods stand with their faces turning to the west. There 
are steps leading from the courtyard into this temple. The 
floor of the temple is paved with marble. There are chan- 
deliers hanging from the ceiling of the vestibule. When un- 
used they continue to hang as before, protected by red linen 
covers. The vestibule 1 is supported on the western side by a 
series of columns at regular intervals. At the entrance to the 
passage between two of the columns is seated a solitary porter 
keeping watch. In the afternoon the direct rays of the setting 
sun might find their way into the Sanctuary, and canvas 
screens have thus been provided. They are intended for the 
passages left open between the columns. In the south-east 
corner of the vestibule is a big jar containing holy water from 
the Ganges. Next to the threshold of the door leading into 
the Sanctuary is a small brass vessel containing the 'Nectar of 
Divine Feet.' The devotees come, bow down before the 
Gods, receive some drops of this sacred water on the palm of 
their right hand and drink it with the greatest reverence. 

Inside the Sanctuary are the Holy Images of Radha and 
Krishna. 

4. The Temple of God (the Mother): — In the southern temple 
is the beautiful Image of the Divine Mother. She is called 
here the Savior 2 of the world. The floor of the temple is 

1 Dalan. 2 Bhabatarini. 



INTRODUCTION 1 1 

paved with marble. The Image is placed on a raised plat- 
form of stone furnished with steps on the southern side. The 
stone platform has upon it a silver 'lotus of a thousand petals.' 
On this lotus is the Symbol of the Absolute lying down on 
His back with His head to the south and His feet to the north. 
This Image is made of white marble. Upon Him standeth 
the Mother of the Universe with one foot on His breast and 
the other on His thigh. She is apparelled in a gorgeous 
Benares cloth and Her Person is decorated with jewels of 
many kinds. On the lotus of Her feet are tinkling anklets 
called nupur and various other kinds of anklets, and the red 
Jaba, with the fresh leaves of the Bael tree, rendered fragrant 
by sandal paste. One of these anklets is panjeb, used by up- 
country women. This ornament was procured by Mathoor, 
son-in-law of the foundress Rani Rashmani, at the special 
desire of Sri Ramakrishna. The Mother's arm is adorned 
with various ornaments made of gold inlaid with jewels; the 
lower arm, with bracelets called 'cocoanut- flower', paincha, 
bauti and bala; the upper arm, with armlets called tan, tabiz, 
baju; the last with a pendant attached to it. Round Her neck 
She weareth the golden chefye, the pearl necklace with seven 
strings, the golden necklace with thirty-two strings, the 'chain 
of stars' {tara har) and — the garland made of human skulls. 
On Her head She weareth a crown of gold and Her ears are 
adorned with \anbala and \anpash, and with golden ear-rings 
that look like flowers; and chaudani and the 'golden fish.' 

The beauty of Her aquiline nose is set off by a golden 
nose-ring with a pearl-drop attached to it. She hath three 
eyes, the third being the Eye of Divine Vision. She hath four 
arms. With one of the two left hands, She holdeth a decapi- 
tated human head and with the other a sword. With one of 
Her right hands, She offereth boons to Her devotees, and 
with the other — the uplifted one — She saith, 'Fear not.' The 
head and the sword symbolize Death and the terrible side of 
Divinity, even as Her offer of boons and Her assurance of 
help to Her devotees bring out the loving side and put them 
in mind of Her boundless love and mercy. 

Round Her waist She weareth a terrible garland made of 
human arms as well as golden waist-chains called neem fruit 
and kpmarpata. 

In the north-east corner of the temple is a bedstead sup- 
porting a bed where the Mother taketh Her rest. From the 



1 2 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

wall near the bed hangs a chamar (made of the white hair 
from the tail of the cow called chamari), used for the purpose 
of fanning the Mother. Many a time hath Sri Ramakrishna 
fanned the Mother with this chamar. On the steps are kept 
vessels containing drinking water for the Mother. On the 
silver lotus is a small image of a lion made of the eight 
metals, the image of the guana and the trident. In the south- 
west corner of the platform is the image of a female fox. In 
the southern part is the black image of a bull, and in the north- 
east corner that of a goose. On one of the steps leading to the 
platform the Image of Narayana (God the Preserver) is in- 
stalled on a small silver throne. By His side is Ramalala, the 
Image of Ramachandra, God Incarnate, obtained by Sri Rama- 
krishna from a holy man. Close to Ramalala on the same 
step is another small Image of Siva called Baneshwar and 
also the images of various other manifestations of God. The 
Divine Mother standeth with Her face to the south. 

Within again and close to the northern wall of the temple, 
is the sacred pitcher made of copper, filled with the holy 
water of the Ganges for the Mother to wash Her face. 
Above the Holy Image is a beautiful canopy, and the back- 
ground is a piece of Benares cloth embroidered with flowers 
of many colors. The canopy overhead setteth off the beauty 
of the Image. Twelve columns, apparently made of silver, 
stand at the corners at the platform round about the Holy 
Image % They include inner as well as outer columns. 

The entrance to this temple is through passages between 
pillars, protected by strong doors. The guard is seated near 
one of the passages. Near the threshold again, as in the case 
of the other temple, is a small cylindrical brass vessel contain- 
ing the Nectar of the Mother's Feet. The top of the temple 
is adorned with nine pinnacles. 

5. The Theatre-hall 1 : — In front of the temple and exactly to 
the south of it is the spacious Theatre-hall. It is rectangular 
and the splendid terrace is supported by both inner and outer 
rows of columns. Theatrical performances 2 , etc., take place 
here on special occasions, especially on the day of the Festi- 
val 3 held in honor of the Mother. 

6. The Guest-house 4 : — To the west of the courtyard is the 
row of twelve temples of the father already mentioned. On 
the three other sides are sets of rooms with lobbies leading to 

1 Nata-Mandir. 2 Jatras. 3 Kali-puja. 4 Atithi-sala. 



INTRODUCTION 13 

them. The rooms to the east are: (1) the store-room; (2) the 
room 1 for keeping noochis and sweetmeats; (3) the room for 
cooking the food offering for Vishnu who doth not accept 
any fish or meat offerings; (4) the room for getting ready 
fruits and other offerings; (5) the room for cooking the offer- 
ings for the Divine Mother. Lastly, there are the lobbies used 
for feeding the guests, including holy men, Brahmans, beggars, 
etc. These, if they do not sit at meat in the guest-house, must 
proceed to the office of the steward of the Temple-garden 
and apply for their doles of rice and dal and other neces- 
saries. The steward bids the officer in charge of the stores 
give what they want. 

7. To the south of the Theatre-hall is the place of sacrifice. 

8. No fish or meat may be offered to Vishnu, who is wor- 
shipped here under the name of Radhakanta or the Lord of 
Radha. The food offerings for the Mother include fish or 
meat. On the day of lunar conjunction 2 (dark fortnight), goat 
is offered. The worship at the temples is completed before 
12 o'clock noon, by which time rice and the various dishes 
that are prepared in the kitchen have been offered. In the 
meantime the Guest-house is filled with holy men, poor men, 
women and other guests. 

The Brahmans have a separate corner allotted to them dur- 
ing dinner. The officers of the Temple who happen to be 
Brahmans dine with the other Brahmans. 

The steward hath his food 3 carried to him into his own 
room. The Babus of Janbazar, the descendants of the found- 
ress, Rani Rashmani, pay occasional visits to the Temple, 
when they put up in the two-storied building outside the 
Temple courtyard called the ^u//h. They, too, have their food 3 
carried to them into the fauthi. 

9. The Steward's* and the Office rooms 5 : — In the rooms lying 
south of the courtyard are the quarters set apart for the officers 
of the Temple and also the office rooms. Here the steward 
and the clerk are always present; and the store-keeper, the 
maid -servants, men-servants, priests, Brahman-cooks and 
porters are always found walking in and out. Some of these 
rooms are kept under lock and key. They contain the sacred 
utensils, the furniture of the Temple-garden, carpets, awnings 
for the courtyard, etc. Some of these rooms were used as 
store-rooms on the occasion of the great Birthday Festival 

1 Noochi-ghar. 2 Amabasya. 3 Prasad. 4 Khajanchi. 5 Daftarkhana. 



14 QOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

formerly held here in honor of Sri Ramakrishna. The cook- 
ing for this great festival used to be done on the adjoining 
grounds lying south of this set of rooms. 

There is a gate north of the courtyard and leading to it. 
The porters are stationed here as well as in the chandni. The 
votaries who desire to worship God in the temples must leave 
their shoes behind at the gate. 

10. The Master's Chamber: — In the north-west corner of 
the courtyard, and immediately to the north of the row of 
twelve temples dedicated to Siva, is the well-known chamber 
in which Sri Ramakrishna used to pass his days in commun- 
ion with God. Next to it and situated west is a semi-circular 
verandah (balcony), with a roof also semi-circular, supported 
partially by columns. It looketh out on the Ganges as she 
floweth past the terrace of the Temple-garden, running along 
her bank. Sri Ramakrishna often watched from this place 
the sacred waters with his face to the west, looking upon the 
holy river all the time as a manifestation of the Deity. To 
the west of the balcony is a narrow garden-path running north 
and south. To the west of this path is a flower garden. Next 
to the garden is the terrace along the side of which floweth 
the Ganges with sweet melodious murmurs. 

//. The Concert-room 1 : — The Master's chamber is bounded 
by a rectangular verandah on the north. Next to this room 
and the verandah is another garden path going west to east. 
This path again has a flower garden next to it lying north. 
North of the flower garden is the Concert-room. The revered 
Mother of the Master now in heaven passed her last days in 
a small chamber just under the Concert-room. 

Next to this building is the Bakultala, or the foot of the 
Bakul trees, and the river-ghat which leads to it. The female 
folk of the neighborhood bathe at this ghat. A pious and 
devout Brahman lady as she was, the dying mother of Sri 
Ramakrishna was removed to this ghat, and she breathed her 
last in the presence of her weeping Son — with the lower half 
of her body immersed, after the manner of the Hindus, in the 
holy waters of the Ganges. 

There is a second Concert-room in the south-west corner of 
the Temple-garden, close to the office rooms. 

12. Panchabati: — Panchabati is situated a little north of 
the Bakul trees. Panchabati is a 'collection of five trees', viz., 

1 Nahabatkhana. 



INTRODUCTION 15 

Bata, the Indian fig, the Peepul, the Neem, the Amlaki and 
the Bael tree. They were planted at the desire of Sri Rama- 
krishna. It was at the foot of the Panchabati that he went 
through various religious practices 1 . Latterly, he used often 
to walk about this place, sometimes alone, sometimes with 
his disciples. Coming back from Brindaban, he caused to 
be scattered about on this spot, the holy dust that had been 
brought from that place of pilgrimage. 

Close to Panchabati and situated east was a thatched hut 
(now turned into a brick-built room) in which Sri Ramakrishna 
practised many religious austerities and with a single-minded 
devotion meditated upon God. 

In this place there is a second Banyan 2 tree built round at 
its foot with a terraced seat. It is an ancient tree and joined 
with it grows another, viz., a Peepul 3 tree. This ancient tree 
has many hollows within. It has become the home of birds 
and animals. 

The terraced seat is circular in form. It is provided with 
steps at two different points — the south and the north. It is 
used by people that visit the Temple-garden and specially by 
those who wish to retire into solitude and meditate upon God, 
with the Holy Ganges flowing past before them. Seated here 
with his face to the west, many a day did Sri Ramakrishna 
pass in the midst of his devotional exercises. In those days he 
would call unto the Mother of the Universe with a yearning 
which only equalled that of the cow crying for her calf! 
Across that hallowed Seat to-day there hath fallen a branch 
of the Peepul tree, the comrade of the banyan. This branch 
hath not been completely severed from the banyan tree, but 
continueth partially to adhere to it. It seemeth that the God- 
man that is worthy to take that seat hath not come into the 
world yet. 

13. Jhautala and Baeltala: — Going a little north of Pancha- 
bati, one reaches a railing made of iron wires. On the other 
side of the railing is the Jhautala, a collection of five willow 
trees. Devout worshippers of God rejoice to see them from 
the bank of the Ganges at Bagbazar, Calcutta, where they may 
have come for purposes of ablution. 

Going a little east from the Jhautala is Baeltala, or the foot 
of the Bael tree. Sitting at the foot of this tree, Sri Rama- 
krishna went through various religious austerities. 

1 Sadhan. 2 Bata. 3 Ashwatha. 



16 GOSPEL OF SRI ^AMAKRISHNA 

Beyond the Jhautala and the Baeltala is the wall that sepa- 
rates the Temple-garden from the Government Magazine. 

14. The Kuthi: — Getting out of the northern passage at 
the entrance of the courtyard, one comes across a two-storied 
house called the Kuthi. Whenever Rani Rashmani or her 
son-in-law Mathoor visited the Temple, they used to put up at 
the Kuthi. During their life-time the Master used to pass his 
days in a chamber there on the ground-floor facing the 
Ganges. There is a splendid view of the holy river from this 
room. A straight path from the Kuthi running from east to 
west leads to the river-ghat at the foot of the Bakul tree. 

15. Gazitala, the Main Gate, and the Back Gate: — Going on 
due east from the northern entrance of the courtyard in the 
direction of the eastern gate, we have on our right a fine tank 
called Ghazi-pukur, having two pucca ghats, one to the north 
and the other to the west of the tank. The western ghat is 
used for the purpose of washing the sacred utensils and is 
called the ' Platewashing Ghat.' A little to the north-east of 
the ghat is an old tree and the foot of this tree is called Gazi- 
tala. This is the place where an old Mahomedan saint used 
to live long ago and pass his days in the contemplation of 
God. His departed Spirit is worshipped even to-day by the 
poor people, both Hindu and Mahomedan, who live in the 
vicinity of the Temple. 

The eastern gate of the Temple-garden, or the Main Gate is 
a little to the east of Gazitala. People who come from Alam- 
bazar or Calcutta enter the Temple through this gate. The 
people of Dakshineshwara come in through the Back Gate or 
the north-eastern gate. When the Master used to come back 
from Calcutta into the Temple, sometimes at midnight, the 
cab which brought him stopped at the Main Gate. The 
porter was then waked up and asked to unlock the gate. Sri 
Ramakrishna would ask him to come with him to his cham- 
ber in the Temple and he would see him rewarded with 
sweetmeats, which the Temple people would send him every 
evening out of the sanctified offerings made to the Deity. 

16. The Goose-tank 1 : the Cow-house: — There is another tank 
called the Goose-tank to the east of Panchabati. To the 
north-east of this tank are the stable and the Cow-house. To 
the east of these is the back gate or north-eastern gate. 
Through this gate the people of Dakshineshwara come into 

1 Hangspukur. 



INTRODUCTION 17 

the Temple. This is the gate used also by those officers of 
the Temple who live in this village with their families. Those 
without families had room for them within the Temple. 

There is a straight narrow pathway running from the south- 
em extremity of the Temple-garden to Panchabati. This path 
runs from south to north along the bank of the Ganges and is 
lined with flower plants on both sides. Passing on its way 
between the chandni and the southern ghat of the river, it 
comes to the foot of the Bakul trees, just leaving the northern 
ghat on its left, and at last comes up to Panchabati. 

The garden path which runs from west to east, and is situate 
to the south of the concert-room 1 and the Kuthi, goes past the 
Gazitala as far as the eastern gate. This, too, has flower 
plants on both sides. In the same way, the path leading from 
south to north on the eastern side of the Kuthi, runs past the 
Goose-house until it reaches the Cow-house. The garden to 
the east of this path contains many flower plants and fruit 
plants and also a tank. 

17. The Flower-garden: — Just before the break of day, the 
sweet sound of bells cometh from the Temple upon the ear 
of the devotee. They make known abroad the morning 
service with the waving 2 of lights, which bringeth the tidings 
of love and joy unto all God's creatures; for the Mother of 
the Universe is up again and will continue to bless Her own, 
Her beloved children. The morning tunes are played on the 
flageolet 3 to the accompaniment of drums and cymbals and 
come upon the ear from the concert-room. It is not as yet 
red in the east, for the day-star is not up yet to give light 
and life to this world of ours. At such an early hour they 
are plucking the flowers in the Temple-garden to be offered 
during the morning service to God. 

On the bank of the holy river and just to the west of 
Panchabati are the Bael tree and the sweet-scented milk- 
white Gulchi flower. Close to them is the mango-creeper . 
Sri Ramakrishna had a great liking for the flower plant Mallika 
(the tulip), the mango-creeper so dear to Sri Radhika, and for 
the Gulchi flower. He had the mango-creeper brought down 
with him from Brindaban whither he had gone with Mathoor 
on pilgrimage, and planted at Panchabati. 

The part of the Temple-garden to the east of the path run- 
ning towards the cow-house above-mentioned, contains many 

1 Nahabatkhana. 2 Aratrika. 3 Rasunchouki. 4 Madhavi. 



1 8 GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

flower plants. Amongst others, there are the fragrant Cham- 
pak, the five-faced Jaba, the Jaba pendant like ear-rings, the 
rose and the gold-flower . On the hedges grows the creeper 
Amaranth, called Aparajita or the 'unvanquished', with blue 
flowers used for the worship of the Divine Mother. Very 
close to these are the Jui (jasmine) and the Shefalika flowers. 

Alongside of the long line of the twelve temples of Siva 
and situate just to the west of them are also many flower 
plants — the white oleander 2 , the red oleander, the rose, the 
jasmine 3 and the large double jasmine 4 . There is also the 
thorn-apple 5 , especially used for the worship of Siva. At 
intervals there is the sacred holy basil 6 plant growing on brick- 
built platforms. 

To the south of the concert-room are the double jasmine, 
the (single) jasmine, 'the king of scents,' and the rose — all 
sweet-scented flowers. Within a short distance of the south- 
ern river-ghat are two flower plants with beautiful fragrant 
flowers — one called the lotus-oleander and the other the 
cuckoo-eyed. The color of the latter resembles that of the 
eyes of the cuckoo. 

Near the Master's room and growing west of it are a couple 
of plants with flowers called the Krishna-crest (the cox-comb 
flower), resembling the crest adorning the head of Krishna, 
the Incarnation of Divine Love; also the double jasmine, the 
jasmine, the king of scents, the rose, the tulip, the Jaba, the 
white oleander, the red oleander; the five-faced Jaba, the 
China-rose, etc. 

Sri Ramakrishna, too, used formerly to gather flowers for 
divine worship. On one occasion he was plucking the 
leaves of the Bael tree near Panchabati, when a portion of 
the bark came off. It seemed to him as if the Divinity that 
was within him and was manifest in all things without had 
received a severe wound. He felt this in his very soul, and 
thenceforward ceased plucking the leaves of the Bael tree. 
On another occasion he was walking about, gathering flowers 
for the worship of the Mother. Suddenly it flashed on his 
soul that the various flower plants before him were so many 
nosegays — things of beauty decorating the macrocosm, — bou- 
quets decorating- the outward manifested form of the Absolute. 
Sri Ramakrishna perceived in his soul that the worship of the 
Deity was thus being celebrated night and day without any 

1 Kanchan. 2 Karavi. 3 Jui. 4 Bel. 5 Dhutura. 6 Tulasi. 



INTRODUCTION 19 

cessation. Henceforward he ceased to pluck flowers any 
more for the purpose of worshipping the Deity. 

18. The Lobbies and the Balcony: — There is a lobby running 
east to west leading to the Master's room. It is two-winged ; 
one wing facing the courtyard to the south, the other facing 
north and commanding a view of the Kuthi and the garden 
paths round about. The Master used often to be seated in 
the southern lobby with his disciples, talking of God or sing- 
ing with them the Name of the Lord. In the northern wing 
there used sometimes to be celebrated the festival in honor of 
his birthday. There with the disciples and other devotees, 
he would sit at meat and eat out of the accepted offerings 1 
amidst the joy and excitement of the festive occasion. Very 
often, at the head of his disciples, Keshab Sen would come to 
see Sri Ramakrishna and meet him in this very verandah, 
listen to the words of wisdom that proceeded out of his 
mouth and watch the state of Divine Ecstasy into which he 
was frequently thrown. Here it was that Keshab and his dis- 
ciples were entertained with popped rice, cocoanut, luchi and 
sweets. It was here again that the Master was once put in a 
state of Samadhi at the sight of Narendra (Vivekananda). 

19. The Abode of Joy and Gladness: — The Temple-garden 
has turned out to be an abode of Joy and Gladness. The 
Deity is worshipped night and day in His various aspects as 
Father 3 ; as the Incarnation 4 of Divine Love; and again as the 
Mother 5 of the Universe, Savior of the world. The offerings 
regularly made during divine worship 'every day are many 
and various. The guest-house, which accordeth welcome to 
holy men and mendicants, is an institution connected with 
the Temple, highly valued by those that resort to it. The 
view of the sacred river flowing past the Temple-garden calls 
up thoughts that appeal to the highest nature of man. No 
less inspiring is the garden within the Temple compound, 
with flowers of variegated hues which charm the devout 
lovers of God with their fragrance, beauty and sanctity. 
What giveth the finishing touch to this fascinating picture of 
the Temple-garden is the saintly figure of the God-man, 
intoxicated night and day with the joy of the Lord. 

Verily, here goeth on a perennial festival in honor of the 
Ever-Joyful Mother. The music from the concert-room cele- 
brateth this never-ending festival, pouring out melodies that 

1 Prasad. 2 Muri. 3 Siva. 4 Krishna, 5 Kali. 



20 GOSPEL OF SRI "RAMAKRISHNA 

send a thrill of joy through the soul of the lover of God and 
very often put him in a state of ecstasy. The sacred music 
never tireth of proclaiming night and day to the world the 
glad tidings of joy, viz., that our Mother hath not only created 
us, but always looketh after us, Her own children. It begin- 
neth the song at early dawn, repeateth it at about nine in the 
morning at the time of divine worship, and again at about 
twelve noon when the Deity retireth to rest. The song is 
again taken up at about four in the afternoon, when the 
Mother ariseth, once more sitteth in state, and is ready to 
receive the worship offered by Her devotees. The festive 
song is yet once more repeated at candle-light, when it calleth 
upon the world to be ready for evening worship. The clos- 
ing strains of this soul-stirring music reach the ear at about 9 
o'clock at night, when the Mother retireth to rest: — music 
sweet and sonant in the solemn sweetness that reigneth in the 
Temple-garden at that solemn hour, in the midst of the 
increasing darkness — the garment which the Mother now 
putteth on to remind Her children of the Eternity when 
nothing was, — neither Man nor Woman, neither the Sun nor 
the Moon, the Earth, or the Starry Firmament above! 





Copyright, 191 1 ,b\) S. F. Vedanta Society 
Printed at the Hindu Temple, 2963 Webster St., San Francisco, Cal. 



THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

SECTION I. 

1882 

CHAPTER I. 
THE FIRST MEETING WITH THE MASTER 



T is the spring of 1 882, the season of flowers and of 
the sweet southern breeze. The sun is about to set 
on the Temple of the Mother of the Universe one 
pleasant day in the month of March. All nature 
smileth and rejoiceth. At such a time came about 
M.'s first vision of the God-man. 

The Temple of the Mother where Sri Ramakrishna made 
his abode for years is on the eastern bank of the Ganges, in 
the village of Dakshineshwara, about four miles north of 
Calcutta. 

He was seated on the lounge (the smaller of the two bed- 
steads 1 ) in his own chamber, which looked out on the sacred 
waters of the Holy Stream (the Ganges) as it flowed past. The 
disciples and other devotees were seated on the floor. They 
looked on his smiling, benignant face and drank the nectar of 
the living words that fell from his hallowed lips. 

Facing the east and smiling, the Master talketh of the Lord. 
M. looketh in and standeth speechless! Is it Sukadeva* 
before him that talketh of the Lord? Is M. standing on a spot 
to which have come together the various holy places of pil- 
grimage to hear the Divine preacher that is seated before 
him? Is it again the Lord Gouranga Deva (Chaitanya) seated 
before him with Ramananda, Swarup and other beloved dis- 
ciples in the Holy Land of Purit, singing forth the sacred 
name of the Beloved Lord and His glorious works? 

Sri Ramakrishna speaketh, saying, 'Suppose at the name 2 of 
the Lord the hairs of your head and body stand on their ends, 
or tears of joy start out of your eyes; verily I say unto you 

1 Taktaposh. 2 Hari or Rama. 

* The holy sage who loved the Lord from his infancy. 

t Puri, in Orissa, contains the temple of Jagannath. Gouranga (Chaitanya) was here for 
about the last twenty-four years of his life. 



22 GOSPEL OF SRI e RAMAKRISHNA 

the term is over of your 'works for the Lord', (for instance, 
. the daily service , morning, noon and evening, 

fo"theLo°rd ° "*' l a ^ °^ own f° r tne twice-born). Then and not 
till then have ye the right to give up works 2 ; 
then indeed will works drop off of themselves. In this state 
of the soul, let the devotee only repeat the name of the Lord 
(Ram, Hari, or simply the symbol Om). That would suffice; 
no other works need be done.' 

The Master saith again, 'Sandhya endeth in Gayatri*; Gayatri, 
in the simple symbol Omf-' 

M. is staying at Barahanagar (near Dakshineshwara). He 
has come with Sidhu, a friend, unto the Temple-garden in 
the course of an evening walk. It is Sunday, and M. is free 
from work. 

In the course of his walk, M. had first visited the garden- 
house of P. Banerjee. There Sidhu had said to him, 'There 
is a beautiful garden on the bank of the Ganges. Let us go 
there. A holy man dwelleth there called the Paramahamsa.' 

M. standeth speechless. He thinketh within himself, saying, 
'O what a charming place! What a charming man! How 
sweet and charming are his words! The very idea of leaving 
this place troubleth the soul. But let me first look about and 
have a clear idea of the Temple. I will then come back and 
sit at his feet.' 

M. comes out of the room into the quadrangle. He visits 
the temple of God the Father 3 , of God 4 Incarnate as Love, 
and, lastly, that of God 5 the Mother. 

It is just evening — the time of divine service. The priests 
are moving the lights before the sacred Images to the accom- 
paniment of bells, cymbals and drums. From the southern 
end of the Temple-garden there is wafted upon the soft 
southern breeze the sweet music, tune after tune, played by 
the temple musicians upon flageolets and other musical instru- 
ments. That music is carried far over the bosom of the 
Ganges until it is lost in distant Immensity! The breeze that 
bloweth from the south — how gentle and fragrant it is with 
the sweet odor that cometh from many a flower! The moon 

1 Sandhya. 2 Karma. 3 Siva. 4 Radhakanta. 5 Kali — God in His relation to the con- 
ditioned and the finite as distinguished from Brahman or God the Absolute. 

* Gayatri, the Vedic mantra (sacred text) which the Brahman and other twice-born 
Hindus repeat every day, while meditating upon the Supreme Being. 
t Om, the Vedic symbol for the Supreme Being. 



THE FIRST MEETING WITH THE MASTER 23 

is just up and the Temple and the garden are soon bathed 
in the soft silvery light. It seemeth as if Nature and Man 
both rejoice and hold themselves in readiness for the evening 
service. 

M.'s joy is full at the blessed sight. Sidhu speaketh to M., 
saying, 'This is Rashmani's Temple. Here the Gods are 
ministered unto from day to day — from morning till night. 
Here, too, are fed every day holy men and the poor, out of 
the offerings made to the Deity.' 

The two friends wend their way through the grand quad- 
rangle back towards Sri Ramakrishna's chamber. Coming up 
to the door of the room they notice that it is pushed to. M. 
has learnt English etiquette and does not wish to get in. It 
would be, so he thinks, quite rude to enter in without leave. 

The incense was burnt just a little while ago. 

At the door stands Brinda, the maid-servant. M. talks 
to her. 

M.: — Well, my good woman, is he in — the holy man? 

Brinda: — Yes, he is inside this room. 

M. : — How long hath he made his abode here? 

Brinda: — Oh, many, many years. — 

M. : — I suppose he has many books to read and study. 

Brinda: — Oh dear, no; not a single one. His tongue talketh 
everything — even to the highest truths! His words come 
down from above! 

M. is fresh from college. He is told that the Master is not 
a scholar! That puts him at his wit's end. He stands aghast 
— speechless! 

M. : — Very well. Is he now going on with the evening 
service 1 ? — May we come in? — Will you be so kind as to tell 
him that we are anxious to see him? 

Brinda: — Why! you may go in, my children; do go, and 
take your seats before him. 

Thereupon they enter the room. No other people are 
there. The Master is seated alone on the smaller of the two 
bedsteads. Incense is burning and the doors are closed. M. 
salutes with folded hands. A mat is spread on the floor. At 
his word, M. and Sidhu take their seats. 

The Master makes many kind enquiries: 'What is thy 
name? Where dost thou live? What art thou? What has 
brought thee to Barahanagar?' etc., are some of the questions 

1 Sandhya. 



24 GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

put to M. M. says everything; but he notices that in the 
course of conversation, Sri Ramakrishna gives his mind to 
some other object on which he is meditating. 

Is this God-consciousness? It calls up to M.'s mind the 
image of a person quietly seated, rod in hand, to catch fish. 
The float trembles just as the fish bites at the bait. The man 
eagerly looks at the float. He grasps the rod with all his 
strength. He does not talk to anybody, but is all attention. 

M. hears later on that he is put into a peculiar state of 
God-consciousness several times every day, when he loses 
all sense of the external world. 

M. (to Sri Ramakrishna): — I am afraid, Sir, thou wilt have to 
go through the daily evening service 2 . In that case we shall not 
trouble thee any more to-night, but call on another occasion. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — No, no, you need not be in a hurry. 

He is silent again for a time. When he hath opened his 
lips he saith, 'Evening service. Why, that is not it?' 

A short while after M. saluteth the Master. He biddeth M. 
good-bye, and saith, 'Come again.' 

On his way back to Barahanagar, M. said to himself, 'Who 
may this God-man be? How is it that my soul longeth to see 
him again? Is it possible that a man may be great and yet not 
be a scholar? .... What means this yearning of the soul for 
him? — He, too, has bid me come again. — I must come to-mor- 
row or the day after.' 

CHAPTER II. 

MASTER AND DISCIPLE 

A couple of days after, at about eight in the morning, M. 
called again. 

The Master is going to be shaved by the barber. The 
winter cold is still lingering and he hath on a moleskin shawl 
hemmed with red muslin. On seeing M., the Master saith, 
'Well, thou art come. Very good. Take thy seat here.' 

It was on the southern verandah leading to his room that 
the meeting took place. 

Seated before the barber, he had on a pair of slippers and 
the shawl described above. 

He talketh to M. while the barber is attending to him. His 
face is, as usual, smiling. Only he stammers a little while talking. 

1 Samadhi. 2 Sandhya. 



MASTER AND "DISCIPLE 25 

Master (to M.): — Where is thy home? 

M.; — In Calcutta, Sir. 

Master: — With whom hast thou been staying here at Baraha- 
nagar? 

M.: — With my sister, Sir, at Ishan Kaviraja's house. 

Master: — At Ishan's? O, I see. Dost thou know how Ke- 

shab hath been doing at present? I heard he was seriously ill. 

M. : — Yes, Sir, I, too, heard the same. Prob- 

Keshab Chandra Sen ably he is doing Well nOW. 

Master: — I made a vow to offer gifts — green 
cocoanuts and sugar— to the Divine Mother for Keshab's 
recovery. I would sometimes wake up in the midst of my 
sleep at night and cry unto Mother, praying, 'O Mother, do 
grant that Keshab may get well. If Keshab doth not live, 
whom shall I, O Mother, talk to when I shall go to Calcutta?' 

Master (continuing): — Dost thou know there hath been re- 
cently to Calcutta one Mr. Cook? Hath he been delivering 
lectures? Keshab took me on board a steamer the other day 
and he was there. 

M. : — Yes, Sir, I have heard a good deal about him. I have 
never had any occasion to hear him lecture. Nor do I know 
much about him. 

Master: — Pratap's brother came and stopped here for a 
few days. He said he had come here to stay. He had no 
work to do, and he had left his wife and 
Duty of a Father children in the care of his father-in-law. We 

took him to task for his want of self-respect. 
Dost thou not think it wrong of him to go about like this 
when he hath lots of children to bring up? Should a stranger 
come to feed and look after them? I wonder that he is not 
ashamed that somebody else taketh care of his family, — that his 
father-in-law should be asked to bear his burden! I rated him 
rather severely and told him to look about for work. It was 
when his folly was thus pointed out to him that he left here. 

Master (to M.): — Art thou married? 

M..— Yes, Sir. 

Sri Ramakrishna starteth at these words. He saith, 'Ah me ! 
He hath already taken a wife! May the Lord help him!' 
_, ,. ■" M. gets confused at these words and sits 

J he Master reprooeth 11 1 . i 1 • 1 1V1 

M. for having married speechless, hanging down his head like one 
guilty of a serious offence. He then saith to 
himself, 'Must then marrying be so bad?' 



26 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKR1SHNA 

Master: — Are there any children born? 

M. can hear the beating of his own heart! He answers in 
a feeble voice, 'Yes, Sir.* 

The Master is shocked. He rebuketh M., saying, 'Alas! and 
children, too, to bring up!' 

M. feeleth that a terrible blow hath been dealt to his egoism. 

After a while, the Master looketh kindly upon M. and saith 
in an affectionate tone, 'Thou seest, my boy, there are some 
good signs about thee. I can know them by looking at one's 
eyes and brow. The eyes of Yogis have a peculiar look — 
those that in previous incarnations passed their days in com- 
munion with God. In the case of some it seemeth as if they 
have just left the seat 1 of divine contemplation!' 

'Well, now, thy wife, what dost thou think of her? Is she 
of a divine nature 2 , leading God ward and to light? Or the 
reverse, leading only to darkness 3 and away from God?' 

M.:— She is good enough, but ignorant. 

Master (sharply): — She is ignorant and thou art wise! Thou 
thinkest that thou hast attained wisdom? Dost thou? 

M. knoweth not what wisdom and ignorance truly consist 
in. His idea is that a wise man is he who reads books. [This 
false notion was of course afterwards taken away and he was 
then taught that knowing God alone is true wisdom and not 
knowing Him is ignorance.] 

When the Master said, 'Dost thou think thou hast attained 
wisdom?* M.'s egoism received a second blow. 

Master: — Dost thou like to meditate upon God as 'with 
form' or as 'without form?' 

This question maketh M. look confused again 

Image worship:- ^ ^^ ^ m thinking. Is it possible that 

is Liod wub form or 111 r • i • r* <■ 1 r* 1 j 

without form? one could have raith in a rormless Lxod, and 

believe at the same time that He hath a form? 
Or, how can it be that believing Him to be 'with form,' one 
could think that He is also 'formless'? Can two contradictory 
attributes co-exist in the same substance? Can white things 
like milk be black also at the same time? 

After thinking for a while, M. saith, 'I should like, Sir, to 
meditate upon God as the Formless Being rather than as a 
Being 'with forms.' 

Master: — That is good. There is no harm in looking at 
Him from this or the other point of view. Yes, to think of 

1 Asana. 2 Vidya Shakti. 3 Avidya Shakti. 



MCASTER AND DISCIPLE 27 

Him as the Formless Being is quite right. But take care thou 
dost not run away with the idea that that view alone is true 
and that all else is false. Meditating upon Him as a Being 
'with forms' is equally right. But thou must hold on to thy 
particular point of view until thou realizest — until thou seest — 
God, when everything shall be clear. 

M. is speechless once more. He heareth again and again 
from the lips of the Master that contradictories are true of 
God. He hath never come across such a strange thing in his 
books and to these all his learning is confined. His egoism 
receiveth another blow, but is not yet completely knocked 
down and crushed. So he goeth on questioning and reason- 
ing a little with the Master. 

M: — Please, Sir, one may believe that God is 'with form.' 
But surely He is not the earthen images that are worshipped! 

Master: — My dear Sir, why call it an earthen image? The 
Image Divine is made of the Spirit! 

M. cannot follow this. He goeth on saying: 'Is it not, Sir, 
one's duty to make it clear to those that worship images that 
God is not the same as the images they worship, and that in 
worshipping they should keep God Himself in view and not 
the clay images?' 

Sri Ramakrishna (sharply): — It hath grown to be a fashion 
with you Calcutta people to think and talk only of 'lecturing' 
_ and bringing others to light! How art thou 

Public lectures and • . 1 • I* l. .1 1f-v 

Sri Ramakrishna going, pray, to bring light unto thy own selr? 

Eh? Who art thou to teach others? The Lord 
of the Universe will teach mankind if need be — the Lord 
Who hath made the sun and the moon, men and brutes, the 
Lord Who hath made things for them to live upon, Who hath 
made parents to tend and rear them, — the Lord Who hath 
done so many things, will He not do something to bring them 
to light? Surely He will, if need be! He liveth in the temple 
of the human body. He knoweth our inmost thoughts. If 
there is anything wrong in image worship, doth He not know 
that all the worship is meant for Him? He will be pleased to 
accept the worship, knowing that it is meant for Him alone. 
Why must thou worry thyself about things above thee, and 
beyond thy reach? Seek to know and revere God. That is 
the duty nearest thee. 

M.'s egoism is now completely crushed. He thinketh within 
himself, saying, 'It is indeed perfectly true what this God-man 



28 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

is saying. What business have I to go about preaching to 
others? Have I known God myself? Do I love God? It is, 
as the proverb hath it, like bidding my friend Sankara lie 
down on my bed when there is no bed to lie down upon 
even for my own self! About God I do know nothing. It is 
the height of folly and vulgarity itself — of which I should be 
ashamed — to think of teaching others! It is not mathematics, 
history or literature to be taught in the present case: it is the 
science of God! Yes, the words of this holy man do fully 
appeal to me.' 

This was the first attempt on the part of M. at arguing a 
point with the Master and happily the last. 

Master: — Thou wast talking of 'images made of clay.' Well, 
there often cometh a necessity for worshipping even such 
images. It is God himself Who hath provided these various 
forms of worship. The Lord hath done all this — to suit dif- 
ferent men in different stages of knowledge. 

The mother so arrangeth the food for her children that 
every one getteth what agreeth with him. Suppose a mother 
hath five children. Having got a fish to cook, she maketh 
different dishes out of it. She can give each one of her chil- 
dren what suiteth him exactly. One getteth rich polow with 
the fish, while she giveth only a little soup to another who is 
of weak digestion; she maketh fish with the sour tamarind 
for the third, fried fish for the fourth, and so on; exactly as it 
agreeth with the stomach. Dost thou see? 

M. : — Yes, Sir, now I do. The Lord is to be worshipped in 
the image of clay as a spirit by the beginner. The devotee as 
he advances may worship Him independently of the image. 

Master: — Yes, when again he seeth God he realizeth that 
everything — images and all — -is a manifestation of the Spirit. 
To him the image is made of Spirit — not of clay. God is a 
Spirit. , & 

M. : — Sir, how may one fix one's mind upon God? 

Master: — To that end one must chant without ceasing the 
Name of God and His great Attributes. One ought always to 
mix in the company of holy men. One must 
The value of Solitude always go among the Lord's devotees or those 
that have given up the things of this world 
for the sake of the Lord. It is, no doubt, hard to fix one's 
mind upon God in the midst of the world's cares and anxie- 
ties. Hence one must go into solitude now and then in order 



JXCASTER AND "DISCIPLE 29 

to meditate upon Him. In the first stage of one's life in the 
Spirit, one cannot do without solitude. 

When plants are young they have need of a hedge being 
set about them for their protection, or else goats and cows 
will eat them up. 

The mind, the retired corner and the forest are the three 
places for meditation . One should also practise discrimina- 
tion 2 between the Real (God) and the unreal (the phenomenal 
world). It is thus that one may be able to shake off one's 
attachment to the things of this world, e. g., sensual pleasures, 
wealth, fame, power. 

M. : — Sir, how ought one to live in the world as a house- 
holder? 

Master: — Do all thy duties with thy mind always fixed upon 

God. As for thy parents, wife and children, serve them as if 

they were thy own. But know thou in the 

Problem of Life- inmost recess of thy heart that they are really 

now solved for the , , l l I l ti 

Householder not s °' — unless they, too, love the Lord. Ihe 

Lord alone is really thy own — and those 
that love the Lord. 

A rich man's maid-servant will do all her duties, but her 
thoughts are always sent forth unto her own home. Her 
master's house is not her own. She would, indeed, nurse her 
master's children as if they were her own children, often say- 
ing, 'My own Rama,' 'My own Hari.' But all the while she 
knoweth fully well that they are not her children. 

The tortoise moveth about in water in quest of food; where, 
thinkest thou, abideth her mind? On the bank of the river, to 
be sure — where her eggs are laid. In the same way thou 
mayest go about doing thy work in the world, but take good 
care that thy mind always resteth upon the Hallowed Feet 
of the Lord. 

Suppose thou enterest into the world without acquiring by 
spiritual culture 3 a love 4 for the Lord. Then, depend upon it, 
thou shalt get entangled. Misfortune, grief and the various 
ills that flesh is heir to, will make thee lose the balance of 
thy mind. The more thou wilt throw thyself into the affairs 
of the world and trouble thyself with worldly matters, the 
more thy attachment shall be to the world. 

Rub thy hand with oil if thou wishest to break the jack-fruit 
open. Else the milky exudation of the fruit shall stick unto 

iDhyana. 2 Vichara. 3 Sadhan. 4 Bhakti. 



30 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

thy hands. First get the oil of devotion 1 , anoint thy hand and 
then deal with the affairs of the world. 

But to this end, solitude is the one thing needful. Suppose 
thou wantest to make butter. Then let the curds be set in a 
place beyond the reach of other people. The 
J Solitude ^ curds will not stand if disturbed. The next step 

for thee is to churn, seated in a quiet place. 
If thou givest thy mind unto God in solitude thou wilt receive 
the spirit of renunciation 2 and devotion. If thou givest the 
same mind unto the world it will turn out to be vulgar and 
thou wilt think upon the world alone — which is another name 
for 'Lust and Gold.' 

The world may be likened to Water and the mind to milk' 
Pure milk once mixed in water cannot be got back into the 
pure state once more. Its purity is kept up in another state, 
i. e., if it is first turned into butter and then placed in water. 
Let then the milk of thy mind be turned into the butter of 
Divine Love 1 by means of religious practices 3 in solitude. The 
butter will never get mixed with the water but will come up 
to the surface. Thy mind will likewise remain unattached to 
the world. Though in the world it will not be of the world. 
True knowledge 4 or devotion being attained, the mind will 
now stand apart from the world — unattached to it. 

Along with this, practise Discrimination 5 ; 'Lust and Gold' 
are unreal; the one Reality is God. What uses hath money? 
Why, it giveth us meat and clothes and a place to live in. 
Thus far it goeth, and no further. Surely thou canst not see 
God with the help of money. Nor is money the end of life. 
This is the process of discrimination. Dost thou see this? 

M. : — Yes, Sir, I do. I recently had occasion to go through 
a Sanskrit play, called Prabodh Chandrodaya. Therein I read 
of Discrimination. 

Master: — Yes, Discrimination. Behold, what is there in 
money or in female beauty? Using thy Discrimination, thou 
shalt find that the body of even a beautiful woman is made 
up of only flesh and blood, skin and bones, fat and marrow, 
— nay, of the entrails, as in the case of all other animals, of 
urine and excreta, etc. The wonder is that man loseth sight 
of God and giveth his mind purely to things of this kind! 

M. : — Sir, is it possible to see God? 

1 Bhakti. 2 Tyag. 3 Sadhan. 4 Jnana. 5 Vichara. 




Copyright, 1912, by S. F. Vcdanta SocietU 
Printed at the Hindu Temple, 2963 Webster St., San Francisco, Cal'. 



MASTER AND 'DISCIPLE 31 

Master: — Certainly. These are some of the means by which 

one can see God: — (1) Going from time to time into solitude, 

(2) Chanting His names and His Attributes, 

How to see God (3) Discrimination, and (4) Earnest prayer, — 

with a yearning for the Lord. 

M. : — Sir, what state of the mind leadeth up to God-vision? 

Master: — Cry unto the Lord with a yearning heart, and then thou 
shalt see Him. People would shed a jugful of tears for the 
sake of their wife and children! They would suffer themselves 
to be carried away by a stream of their own tears for the sake 
of money! But who crieth for the Lord? Cry unto Him not 
for making a show — but with a longing and yearning heart. 

The rosy light of the dawn cometh before the rising sun. 
Likewise is a longing and yearning heart the sign of the God- 
vision that cometh after. 

Thou mayest see God if thy love for Him is as strong as 
the three attachments put together, viz., the attachment of a 
worldly man to things of the world, the attachment of the 
mother to her child, and the attachment of a chaste and 
devoted wife to her husband. 

The thing is, in order to see God, one must love Him, heart 
and soul. One must make one's prayers so that they may 
reach the Divine Mother. 

The kitten knoweth only how to cry unto its mother, saying 
'mew,' 'mew.' As for the rest, the mother-cat knoweth it all. 
She putteth her young ones wherever she pleaseth — now in 
the kitchen, now in the soft downy bed of the householder. 
Yes, the kitten knoweth only how to cry unto its mother. 

CHAPTER III. 

M. is putting up at his sister's house at Barahanagar, which 
is about a mile distant from the Temple. Since he saw Sri 
Ramakrishna, M. has never ceased to think of him. It seemeth 
. as if he has always before his eyes the smiling 

(ViveTalandaT ' figure of the Master — that he is listening to 

his words, sweet as nectar. 'How could this 
poor Brahman,' M. thinketh to himself, 'go into these deep 
problems of life and soul! And his teachings, how remarkably 
clear!' M/s feelings are worked up to a high pitch of excite- 
ment; and he thinketh day and night of taking the earliest 
opportunity of seeing him the second time. The following 



32 GOSPEL OF SRI KAMAKRISHNA 

Sunday, between three and four in the afternoon, M. cometh 
again to the Temple in company with Nepal Babu of 
Barahanagar. 

The Master is in the same room, seated on the lounge. 
The room is filled with devotees. It is Sunday and they are 
free. M. doth not as yet know any of them. After saluting 
him with folded hands, M. taketh his seat on one side. The 
Master, smiling, talketh to the devotees present. 

M. observeth that the Master's words are specially addressed 

to a young man called Narendra (Vivekananda), who is now 

„ only nineteen years old. He is a college stu- 

* T TTti. kLj m °,« dent an d a member of the Sadharan Brahma- 

to deal with bad men , ... , rnr •• if 

oamaj. His words are full or spirit. His eyes 
are large and dark. They beam intelligence and tell of the great 
soul within. He hath the looks of one that loveth the Lord. 

M. seeth that the subject of the talk is the conduct of 
worldly men. Such people throw ridicule upon those that 
seek God. The question is, how to deal with such people. 

Master (smiling, to Narendra): — What dost thou say, 
Narendra? Worldly men will say all manner of things against 
the godly. When the elephant wendeth its way through the 
public road it hath, indeed, at its back a lot of curs and other 
animals running after, barking and clamoring. But it turneth 
a deaf ear to all their clamors and goeth its way. Suppose, 
my boy, people speak ill of thee behind thy back. What 
wouldst thou think of them? 

Narendra: — I would look upon them as a lot of curs barking 
after me. 

Master (laughing): — No, my dear, go not thou so far as that. 
{Laughter.) Know that God maketh His abode in all things — 
animate and inanimate. Hence, everything is an object of 
our worship, be it man or beast, bird, plant or mineral, etc. 

In our dealings with men all that we can do is to take heed 
to ourselves that we mix with good people and avoid the 
company of bad people. True that there is God even in a 
tiger; but surely it doth not follow that one should fall on its 
neck and hug the brute to one's bosom. (Laughter.) 

One may say, 'Why should I run away before the tiger, 
seeing that it is God in one form?' To that the answer is, that 
those who wish you to run away from the tiger are also God 
manifest in other forms. Why should we pay no regard to 
their words? 



MCASTER AND "DISCIPLES 33 

In a certain forest there lived a holy man who had a num- 
ber of disciples. One day he taught them, saying, 'God is in 
all things; knowing this we should bend our head by way of 
adoration before every object in this world.' It chanced that 
a disciple of his one day went out to get firewood for the 
sacrificial fire. All on a sudden he heard a shout raised, 'Get 
out of the way, get out of the way! Here is an elephant rush- 
ing about!' At this everybody ran away except this disciple. 
He thus reasoned within himself, saying, 'The elephant is 
God in one form; why shall I flee away?' He kept standing 
where he was, saluted the elephant as the Lord and began to 
chant His praise. The driver of the elephant continued cry- 
ing, 'Run away, run away;' but the disciple would not stir a 
single step. At last the elephant seized him with his trunk 
and cast him away on one side. The poor boy, stunned, 
scratched and torn, lay bleeding on the ground. 

The preceptor heard of this and came with his other dis- 
ciples to the spot They carried him home and applied 
restoratives. When he came to himself they asked him, 'Well, 
why didst thou not quit the spot when thou heardest the 
man shout that the mad elephant was coming on?' The boy 
answered, 'Master once said to us that it is God who revealeth 
himself in man and other living creatures. I looked on the 
Elephant-God and thus did not care to quit the spot.' The 
preceptor said, 'My son, it is indeed true that it was the 
Elephant-God that was coming, but the Driver-God, did he 
not warn thee to get out of the way. It is true God mani- 
festeth Himself forth in everything. But if He is manifest in 
the elephant, is He not equally, if not more, manifest in the 
driver? Tell me, then, why thou didst not pay heed to his 
warning voice.' 

In the Sacred Books it is written, 'Water is the same as God 
Himself.' But some water is fit to be used for divine service; 
some only for washing up plates or dirty linen, or for washing 
the face and the hands after meals. The latter may not be 
used for drinking purposes or divine service! In the same 
way there are good men and bad men, lovers of God and 
those that do not love God. In the hearts of them all, indeed, 
God abideth. But one cannot have dealings with bad men 
and with those who love not God. Our relation with them 
cannot be very close. With some of them, only a nodding 
acquaintance is all that is possible. With many others even 



34 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

that is out of question. It is meet to live apart from such 
people. 

Narendra: — Should we hold our peace, if bad people come 
to offend us or do actually offend? 
->.' , ' Master: — A person living in society, espe- 

V ivekananda: Doctrim • n l i l l ill I I r 

of Non-Resistance cially as a householder, should maf^e a snow or 

the spirit of resisting evil for purposes of self- 
defence. At the same time care should be taken to avoid 
paying back evil for evil. 

In a field there came together certain cow-boys keeping 
watch over their cattle. In that field there was a terrible, 
venomous serpent. One day a holy man was coming that 
way. The boys came running to him and said, 'Your Holi- 
ness, please go not that way. A tremendous snake is over 
there.' *My children,' said the holy man, 'Thank you, but I 
am not afraid of your snake. I know holy texts 1 which will 
keep me from harm of all kinds.' So saying he wended his 
way in that direction. The boys did not go with him, — they 
were so much afraid of the snake. At the sight of the holy 
man, the snake came running towards him with its hood 
raised. He muttered a holy text and the snake fell at his feet, 
helpless like an earthworm. The holy man said, 'Well, why 
dost thou go about doing evil to others? Let me give thee a 
holy Name (of God). Repeat this always and thou shalt learn 
to love God; thou shalt see Him at the end; thy desire to do 
evil to others will at the same time leave thee.* The snake 
had the holy Name whispered into his ear. He bowed down 
before his preceptor and said, 'Lord, what more must I do in 
order to get salvation?* 'Repeat the holy Name,' said the 
preceptor, and do harm to no living thing. I will come once 
more and see how thou farest' So saying he went away. 

Some days passed in this way. The cow-boys noticed that 
the snake would not bite. They pelted it with stones. But it 
looked meek and inoffensive like an earthworm. One day 
one of the boys held it by the tail, and whirling it round and 
round, dashed it several times against the ground. The snake 
vomited blood, was stunned and did not move. The boys 
thought it was dead and left the place. 

Late at night the snake came to life. Softly and with great 
difficulty it moved and dragged itself into its hole. Its body 
was broken. In the course of a few days, it was reduced to a 

1 Mantras. 



JttASTER AND "DISCIPLES 35 

skeleton, and it was many, many days before it could come 
out of its hole to look for food. For fear of the boys it used 
to come out only by night. Since its initiation by the holy 
man, it had ceased to do harm to any creature of God. It 
tried to live as well as it could upon leaves of plants and 
things of that kind. 

The holy man 1 soon came back. He looked about, seeking 
the snake; but in vain. At last the boys said that it was no 
more. It was hard for the holy man to believe this, for he 
knew that the Name of the Lord which it repeated carried 
such spiritual power that death was out of question before the 
problem of life had been solved, i. e., before he had seen God. 
So he made a search and called out to it repeatedly by its 
name. The snake came out of the hole and bowed down 
before its preceptor 2 . They talked to each other thus: — 

Holy man: — Hallo, how dost thou do? 

Snake: — Thank thee, Lord; I am quite well, God willing. 

Holy man: — How is it that thou art brought down to mere 
skin and bones? What is the matter? 

Snake: — Lord, in obedience to thy bidding, I try to do no 
harm to any living creature. I live upon leaves and things of 
the kind. It is just possible that I have thus got thinner than 
before. 

Holy man: — Well, I am afraid it is not the food alone that 
hath brought thee to this pass! There must be something 
else to do with it. Just think it over a little. 

Snake: — Ah, now I see it all. The cow-boys one day dealt 
with me rather severely. They held me by the tail and 
dashed me against the ground with great force — several times. 
They, poor fellows, had no idea what a great change had 
come over me! How should they know that I was not going 
to bite anybody or do the least harm to anybody? 

Holy man: — For shame, my dear! Thou must be an idiot 
not to know how to save thyself from being thus handled by 
thine enemies. Why didst thou not hiss at those who wanted 
to kill thee, so as to put them in fear of thee? 

Sri Ramakrishna then went on, saying, 'So raise the hood 
and hiss, but bite not. There is no harm in hissing at bad men, 
your enemies. Keep them off by showing that thou art ready 
to give tit for tat — that thou knowest how to resist evil. Only 
one must take care not to pour out one's venom into the 

1 Mahatma. 2 Guru. 



36 QOSPEL OF SRI 'RAMA KRISHNA 

blood of one's enemy. Resist not evil by doing evil in return. 
All that thou mayest do is to make a show of resistance with 
a view to self-defence.' 

A disciple: — Sir, why are there bad men in God's world? 
Why is there evil in this world? 

Master: — In God's creation, diversity is the general rule. 
Hence there is evil as well as good. Again, there are various 
„.''-,'■,, , r, , kinds of objects, e. g., animals, plants and min- 

Thz Problem of Evil; 1 A 1 . 1 . 1_ 

arc all men equal? era ! s - Among beasts, again, there are those 

which are gentle and inoffensive and also 
those like the tiger which are ferocious and live upon other 
animals. Some trees bring forth good fruit, sweet as nectar; 
while others bring forth poisonous fruit which causes death. 
Likewise there are good men and bad men, holy men and 
those that are sinful; just and devout men and those that 
are attached to the world. 

Men may be divided into four classes: — (1) Worldly men 1 
(those that are bound in the fetters of the world); (2) The 
Seekers 2 after Liberation; (3) The Liberated 3 ; (4) The Ever- 
Free 4 . 

The Ever-Free. — Narada, the Holy Sage and others: These 
abide in the world for the good of other men — for teaching 
the Truth unto others. 

The Worldly are those that are attached to the little things 
of this world — money, honors, titles, sensual pleasures, power. 
They forget God and never give a thought unto Him. 

The Seekers after Liberation do their best to avoid the world 
made up of 'Lust and Gold' as it is. But it is given to a few 
amongst them to find what they seek, viz., Liberation. 

The Liberated are those that are not influenced by either 
'Lust' or 'Gold.' Holy men are examples. In their mind, 
there is not a trace of attachment to things of this world. 
They meditate always on the Hallowed Feet of the Lord. 

Suppose a net is cast into a tank. Some of the fishes are 
much too clever for the fisherman and take care never to be 
caught in the net. These may be counted on one's fingers, 
and to these may be likened the Ever-Free. 

But most of the fishes are caught in the net. Of these some 
try their best to make their escape. These are the Seekers 
after Liberation. But of these a couple or two only are able 
to leap out of the net into the water. We often see such 

1 Baddha. 2 Mumukshu. 3 Mukta. 4 Nitya. 



.MASTER AND "DISCIPLES 37 

fishes; they leap out with a splash, the fisherman as well as 
others shouting, 'Look! Look! there is a big fish fleeing away.' 

But most of the fishes are not able to get out of the net. 
And what is more, they do not care to get out! They would 
rather rush into the mud at the bottom of the tank, head fore- 
most, entangled in the net as they are, and there lie down still, 
thinking all the while, 'We are all quite safe and secure and 
we need not fear any longer.' The poor things know not that 
the fisherman will in a short while draw the net to land full 
of the fishes. To these last may be compared the 'Worldly.' 
They feel secure in their muddy homes; but, alas! they are 
entangled in the meshes of the world, to be soon deprived of 
the Water of Life and hauled up to the land to be killed! 

The bondage of the world is the bondage brought about by 
'Lust and Gold.' Worldly men are bound hand and foot. 
They think they will find peace and rest and security in the 
mud at the bottom of the tank, i. e., in 'Lust and Gold.' They 
know not that it is these which cause death of the soul. 
When one of these 'Worldly' men is on his death-bed, his 
wife saith to him, 'Thou departest from this world: but what 
property leavest thou to me?' The wife speaketh not a word 
about the Lord. The dying man himself is so much attached 
to the world that the light of a burning lamp in the sick-room 
troubleth him and he crieth out, 'Who is there? See that 
more than one wick is not burnt and that more oil is not 
wasted than is absolutely needed.' 

The worldly man thinketh not of God. If there is time at 
his disposal and he hath nothing to do, he will either talk 
empty twaddle or do things that are of no use to anybody. 
Upon being asked, he saith, 'To sit still I am not able. Hence 
am I setting a hedge.' Time hangeth heavy on his hands. So 
he must play at cards or dice! {Pin-drop silence in the room.) 

A disciple: — Sir, a man of the world, — how may he be 
saved? Is there any remedy for him? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Certainly. Let him seek the company of 
holy men. Let him from time to time go into retirement away 
from his family, in order to meditate upon the 
The Power of Faith Lord. Let him practise Discrimination. Let 
him pray earnestly unto the Divine Mother, 
saying, 'Oh! Mother, grant unto me Love and Faith.' Once 
thou gettest Faith, thy work is done. Oh! there is nothing higher 
than Faith. 



38 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

(To Kedar) Thou must have heard of the power of Faith. 
Ramachandra was God Incarnate; it is said that He had to 
build a bridge across the sea (lying between India and Cey- 
lon 1 ). But Hanuman, the great lover of the Lord, had great 
faith in the power of His Name. He repeated that Name and 
behold! he found himself at once on the other side. To show 
the power of Faith the Lord Himself had to build a bridge 
while the devotee who had faith in His Name needed no 
bridge to carry him across. (The Master and the disciples all laugh.) 

Another devotee of the Lord wrote down the name of 
Rama on a leaf and handed it to a person who wanted to go 
across the sea, saying, 'Thou needst not be afraid, my friend; 
have Faith and go across walking over the deep, but mind 
thou showest not any want of faith; for, then, thou shalt be 
drowned.' The man had the leaf tied up within the folds of 
his cloth. He went his way walking over the sea. As he 
went on, he was seized with the desire of looking into the 
writing. He brought out the leaf and read the name of Rama 
(God) written large on it. Upon this, he thought to himself, 
'Only the name of Rama! Is this all?' But then with the loss 
of faith, down went he under the water! 

Let one have but Faith in the Lord and depend upon it, he 
will get salvation; — no matter if he hath committed the vilest 
sins — -the murder of Brahmans, women and the rest! Let 
him but say, 'Lord, I shall not do so again,' and take His 
Hallowed Name. 

And the Master sang: — 

O Mother, let me but die with Thy Holy Name on my lips. Then 

shall I see whether or not Thou givest me Liberation at the end. 

With Thy Name on my lips, I care not if I have 

The Sinner and the killed holy men 2 and women and the child in the 

Power of God's Name mother's womb ! I care not if I have been guilty of 

drinking wine ! Little do I care for these, even for 

one moment! Taking Thy Name I can indeed aspire for the high 

place of Him 3 whom Thou hast appointed to be the Creator of the 

Universe. 

The Master speaketh of Narendra who is seated before him : 

You all see this boy, so gentle and unassuming. A naughty 

boy is gentle enough in the presence of his father; but he is 

,-■;■'■. quite another when running about and playing 

oftheEver^erfel?' 8 ' at t ^ ie Chandfiu A boy like him belongeth to 

the class of the Ever-perfect (By the Chandni 

1 Lanka. 2 Brahmans. 3 Brahma. 



JXCASTER AND "DISCIPLES 39 

the Master meant the long porch of the Temple next to the 
landing ghat.) 

These are never bound in the fetters of the world. When 
they get a little older in years, they feel an awakening within 
their heart and walk Godward at once. They come down into 
the world as teachers of mankind. They love not the things 
of this world, — their mind never goeth after 'Lust and Gold.' 

There is mention made in the Vedas of a bird called 'Homa. ' 
It liveth high up above the clouds away from the din and 
bustle of this world. There it bringeth forth its egg which 
beginneth to drop as soon as it is brought forth. For days 
together it goeth on falling; and it is hatched during the fall. 
Such is the height that the young which cometh out of the 
egg goeth on falling until it getteth its wings and eyes! 

Then it is that it cometh to know that it is being brought 
down with a tremendous force and that the mere touch of the 
earth will bring on death. Afraid of being thus dashed 
against the ground it shooteth upwards in quest of its mother 
who liveth high up above the clouds. 

The Parent-bird is the Divine Mother who abideth above 
with the Infinite — high up above and beyond the world of 
the senses. Those of Her children that are nearest to Her are 
these pure young souls to whom life continueth to be a mys- 
tery until their eyes are opened and they can fly upon their 
wings. When their eyes are opened they see clearly the 
death that is before them — if they only touch the world and 
the things of the world, — money, honors, sensual pleasures, 
etc.! Just as their eyes are opened, they change the course of 
their life and turn Godward, knowing that their Divine 
Mother is the only Reality in Whom they live and breathe 
and have their being, and to Whom they must always look 
up for Light and Life. 

Narendra left the room. 

Kedar, Prankrishna, M. and many others were still in the 
chamber with the Master. The Master still talketh of Naren- 
dra and smileth as he talketh. 

Master (to the disciples): — Ye see, Narendra excelleth in 
everything, be it singing, playing on musical instruments, or 
reading and writing. The other day he had a discussion with 
Kedar. But Kedar's words were chopped off by him as it 
were, as soon as they were spoken. {The Master and all others 
present laugh.) 



40 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

(To M.) Is there any book in English on the art of reasoning? 
M.: — Yes, Sir, it is called Logic. 
Master: — Well, give me some idea of this book. 
It is a sore trial for M. He taketh courage and saith: — 
'One part of Logic deals with reasoning from general prop- 
ositions to particulars. Thus: — 

All men are mortal, 

Pandits are men, 

. ' . Pandits are mortal. 

Another division deals with reasoning from particulars to 
general propositions. Thus: — 

This crow is black, 

That crow is black, 

That other crow is black ; and so on. 

Hence, all crows are black. 

The reasoning by Simple Enumeration as above. is however 
open to fallacy for it may be that in some unknown lands 
there may be found white crows.' 



Sri Ramakrishna did not appear to pay much attention to 
these words. It seemed as if they fell flat upon his ear. Thus 
the conversation on the subject came to an end. 

The meeting has broken up. The disciples are walking 
about the garden. M. is walking by himself at the 'Cluster of 
the five trees 1 .' 

It is about five in the afternoon. Coming back to the veran- 
dah, north of the Master's chamber, M. cometh upon a strange 
sight. The Master is standing still. Narendra 
Samadhi*' IS singing a hymn. He and three or four 

other disciples all remain standing with the 
Master in their midst. 

M. is charmed with the song. Never in his life hath he 
heard a sweeter voice. Looking at the Master, M. marvels and 
becomes speechless. The Master standeth motionless with 
eyes that move not. It is hard to say whether he doth breathe! 

'This state of divine ecstasy,' saith a disciple, 'is called 
Samadhu' M. has never seen this, nor has he ever heard of 
this. He thinketh within himself, 'Is it possible that the 
thought of God maketh a man forget the world? How great 

1 Panchavati. 



JXCASTER AND "DISCIPLES 41 

must be his faith and his love for God who is put into such a 
state! The song ran as follows: — 

SONG 

1 . O my mind, meditate thou upon the Lord, the essence of Spirit, 
Him Who is free from all impurity. 

Unparallelled is His glory, charming is His shape, dear is He now 
to the heart of devotees! 

2. Behold, His Beauty is enhanced by fresh manifestations of 
Love ! It putteth into the shade the luster of a million moons put 
together! Verily, the lightning flasheth out of this Glorious Beauty, 
and the Blessed Vision causeth the hairs to stand on end. 

The Master is deeply touched when this line of the song is 
chanted forth. The hairs on his body actually stand on end. 
His eyes are bedewed with tears of joy. The smiles on his 
lips show the ecstatic delight that he feeleth at the sight of 
the Blessed Vision. Yes, He must be enjoying a vision of 
unequalled Beauty which putteth into the shade the refulgence 
of a million moons! Is this God-vision? If so, what must be 
the intensity of devotion and of faith, of the discipline and 
the austerities which may bring such a vision within reach of 
mortal man? 

The song went on — 

3. Worship His holy Feet on the lotus of thy heart. 

Behold the Beloved Form of matchless beauty now that the mind 
enjoyeth peace and the eyes are filled with Divine Love. 

That bewitching smile once more! Behold! his body is 
motionless. His eyes are half closed and fixed, as it were, 
upon vacancy. It seemeth as if he beholdeth some strange 
Vision — of things that are beyond the sense- world — and is 
thus filled with Ecstasy! 

The song cometh to its close. Narendra singeth forth the 
last lines — 

Inspired with Love Divine be immersed, O my mind, in the sweet- 
ness of Him Who is the Fountain of Absolute Intelligence and Bliss. 



M, wendeth his way back home with this unique picture in 
his mind of Samadhi and of the ecstasy of Divine Love. The 
sweet music which went to his heart bubbleth up, as it were, 
from time to time as he goeth along: — 

'Be incessantly merged, O my mind, in the sweetness of His 
Love and. Bliss. Yes. Be drunken with the joy of the Lord!' 



42 GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

CHAPTER IV. 

The next day is a holiday and M. calls again at about three 
in the afternoon. 

The Master is seated in his chamber. The mat is spread 
on the floor. Narendra, Bhavanath and one or two other 
disciples are seated — all young men, nineteen or twenty years 
old. Smiles, as before, play about his lips. He is seated on 
the lounge and converseth with the boys. 

M. entereth into the chamber. Looking at him, the Master 
laugheth and laugheth. He crieth out, 'Look I he is come again/ 

The boys all join in the merriment. 

M. falleth down at his feet. On previous occasions he 
saluted the Master with folded hands, — after the manner of 
persons who receive an English education. But to-day he 
hath learnt how to fall down at his Feet. He taketh his seat 
and the Master telleth Narendra and the other disciples what 
maketh him laugh. He saith: — 

'A peacock had once a small quantity of opium given unto 
it at four in the afternoon of a certain day. Well, punctually 
at four in the afternoon the next day, who should come in 
but the self-same peacock longing for a repetition of the 
favor, viz., another dose of the opium.* {Laughter.) 

M. thinketh to himself, 'He hath indeed said well. I go 
back home, leaving the mind behind with this God-Man, the 
like of whom I have never seen. Night and day one thought 
presseth me, — "When shall I see him again?" It seemeth as 
if somebody draweth me unto this place. It is impossible for 
me to go elsewhere and to give up the idea of coming here/ 

Thus thinking, M. watcheth the Master amusing himself in 
the company of the boys. It seemeth as if a running fire of 
chaff is being kept up by the Master, and as if these boys are 
of his own age and he was playing with them. Peals of 
laughter, with brilliant flashes of humor, follow one after 
another, calling up the picture of a fair where the Joy of the 
Lord may be had for sale. 

M. marvels at the thought of this unique character. He 
thinketh to himself, 'Was it this person who was in a state of 
Satnadhi yesterday and who gave us an example of Divine 
Love never seen before? Was it he who took me to task the 
first day because I had entered into the married state? Was 
it he who declared that God is with form and that likewise 



JttASTER AND "DISCIPLES 43 

God is without form? Was it he again who declared that God 
alone is the only Reality, all else is transitory — now is, but 
the next moment vanisheth out of our sight? Was it, indeed, 
he who said the other day, 'Do thy work in this world unat- 
tached, with thy mind always turned to thy Home — the 
Abode of the Everlasting, the Abode of our Divine Mother; 
even as the maid-servant doeth her work — with her mind 
always turned to her country home, where her own people, 
her dear ones, reside?' 

In the midst of his merriment the Master looketh on M. 
from time to time. M. is seated speechless, motionless, gazing 
up into his sweet face all the time! 

He saith to Ram Lall, 'This young man here (t e. M.) is a 
little older than the boys; he is thus somewhat grave. He 
holdeth his peace, as thou seest, all the time that the boys 
are laughing and making themselves merry.' M. is about 27 
years old. 

The Master talketh of Hanuman, one of the devout charac- 
ters mentioned in the Ramayana. 'How ready is Hanuman,' 
saith he, 'to give up everything for the sake 
Renunciation of the Lord — money, honors, pleasures of the 

body and the rest!' 

The Master singeth — 

SONG 

Do I stand in need of sweet fruits ? O, no ! The Fruit that I have 
got hath made my life fruitful — the fruit of Liberation borne by the 
Divine Tree 1 planted in my heart ! 

I sit down at the foot of the Celestial Tree 1 called the Lord 2 of the 
Universe : I get whatever fruit I want from that Tree. Talking of 
fruits, let me assure thee once for all that I am not one who will 
accept any fruits that the world can give ! 

He singeth of Hanuman s renunciation — of the world and 
its pleasures — and as he singeth, loseth all sense-consciousness. 

He is now in a state of Samadhi — the superconscious or God- 
conscious state. The body is again motionless! the eyes are 
again fixed! He is seated just as we see him in the photograph. 

The boys were only a moment ago laughing and making 
merry! Now they all look grave. Their eyes are fixed stead- 
fastly on the Master's face. They marvel at the unheard-of 
wonderful change that hath come over the Master. M. seeth 
the Master in Samadhi for the second time. 

1 Kalpa. 2 Rama. 



44 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

It taketh him long to come back to the sense world. His 
limbs now begin to lose their stiffness. His face beameth with 
smiles, the organs of sense begin to come back each to its 
own work. Tears of joy stand at the corner of his eyes. He 
chanteth the sacred name of Rama (God Incarnate). M. 
thinketh to himself, 'Was it this God-Man who was only a few- 
moments back sporting with the boys like a five-year old child?' 

He hath returned to his former state and saith to M. and 
Narendra, 'I desire to hear you both talk in English and ques- 
tion and reason amongst yourselves.' At the words, both M. 
and Narendra laugh. They talk, but not in English. For M. 
to take part in a discussion in the presence of the Master is 
out of the question; the chamber of his mind which furnisheth 
materials for such things hath been, so to speak, closed once 
for all. The Master presseth them once more, but the talk in 
English doth not come about. 

It is five in the afternoon. The disciples will go back to 

their homes and they all leave the Temple except Narendra 

and M., and Narendra will stay with the Mas- 

mtb some of his ter to „ nignt He will wash his face and his 

members nearest to his , -, ■, r ■> • l • l l 

/,g ar/ hands and reet; he goes, pitcher in hand, 

towards the Jhau trees and the goose-tank, — 
both situated in the northern part of the Temple compound. 
M. paces up and down the garden walks thinking of the extra- 
ordinary Man whom it hath been his good fortune to meet. 
Walking round about the Kuthi and coming up to the goose- 
tank, he is surprised to find Sri Ramakrishna talking with 
Narendra alone by the side of the tank. They stand on the 
landing of the steps leading to the tank-water. Narendra hath 
washed and standeth talking, pitcher in hand. 

'Behold,' saith the Master, smiling, 'thou art a new visitor; 
let not thy visits be few and far between. During the "first 
love!" the meetings between lovers come oftener than at other 
times. Is not that so ? ' (Narendra and M. laugh.) 

The Master smileth and goeth on: 'Well, then, thou shouldst 
come here oftener. What sayest thou?' 

Narendra smileth and saith, 'Yes, Sir, I shall try to come.* 

The Master turneth back and proceedeth in a southerly 
direction towards his chamber. 

Narendra and M. walk with him on either side. Coming 
near the Kuthi, he saith to M., 'Dost thou know how peasants 
buy their bullocks for the plough? Oh, they are very expert 



^CASTER AND "DISCIPLES 45 

in these matters and know very well how to choose good 
bullocks from bad. They know whether the beasts have got 
any mettle or not. They touch the tail and the effect is 
miraculous; those that have no mettle will offer no resistance, 
but lie down on the ground as if they were satisfied with 
everything. Those that have mettle, on the other hand, will 
jump about as if protesting against the liberty taken with their 
body. The peasants will choose the latter. Now Narendra is 
a bullock of this latter class; he hath true mettle within.' 

The Master smileth and goeth on, saying, 'But there are 
many who have no grit in them — who are like popped rice 
put in milk; soft and loose! no strength within! no capacity 
for sustained effort! no power of will!' 

It is evening. The Master meditates upon the Lord in his 
own chamber. 

To M. he saith, 'Wilt thou go and find Narendra who is 
walking about in the Temple-garden, and converse with him ? 
Thou art to tell me what sort of a boy he is.' 

It is evening and the temple priests worship the Deity, 
waving the lights and flowers and other sacred offerings before 
the Holy Images. M. meeteth Narendra again on the landing 
of the river-ghat west of the Chandni. They were, as they 
said, very glad to meet each other. Narendra said, 'I belong 
to the Sadharan Brahma-Samaj ! I am a college student, etc' 

It is getting late and M. will take his leave. Something, 

however, seemeth to hold him back. Leaving Narendra, he 

, , , looketh about for Sri Ramakrishna. The 

What thinkest thou 1 f I I • 1.1 1-1 

y Me p charm or His songs hath gone to his heart 

and he longeth to hear more from his lips. 

Not finding him in his chamber he setteth his face to go to the 

theater-hall 1 , just in front of the temple of the Divine Mother. 

The Master paceth up and down the hall alone, in the dim 
religious light within. Within the temple is the Image of the 
Mother of the Universe with a brilliant light burning on each 
side. In the hall the dim light that burneth seemeth to prepare 
a soft mixture of light and darkness so very good for religious 
contemplation. 

M. was beside himself with joy when he heard Sri Rama- 
krishna chanting the holy Name of the Divine Mother. He 
was spell-bound! — like one helpless under the spell of the 
exorcist ! 

1 Nata-Mandir. 



46 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

He now draweth near the Master and saith with great 
diffidence and humility, 'Sir, are any more hymns going to be 
sung to-night?' 

The Master thinketh for a while within himself and saith, 
'No, there will be no more songs to-night But, look here, 
I am going to Balaram's house at Calcutta one of these days. 
Come there and thou shalt hear songs (from me). 

M. (to Master): — As the Master pleaseth. 

Master: — Dost thou know the house? Dost thou know 
Balaram Bose? 

M.:— No, Sir; I do not. 

Master: — Balaram Bose! At Bosepara? 

M. : — Very well, Sir; I shall make enquiries. 

(Sri Ramakrishna walketh with M. up and down the hall.) 

Master: — Well, let me ask thee a question. What thinkest 
thou of me? 

M. holdeth his peace — deep in thought! 

Master: — What thinkest thou of me? I mean, how much, 
how many annas of True Knowledge have I got? 

M. : — The meaning of annas of Knowledge is not clear to 
me. All I can say is, It hath up till now never been given unto me 
to see such marvellous wisdom and love of the Lord and faith and 
renunciation and communion with God and catholicity all in one and 
the same person. Never — and nowhere else! 

The Master laugheth. 

M. taketh his leave and boweth down before the Master, 
bending his head and falling at his feet. He cometh as far 
down as the northern gate, but turneth back as if he is put in 
mind of something. 

He cometh back to the Master, who is still pacing the hall 
all alone. 

Yes; walking up and down the hall in that dim light — half 
light, half darkness. Alone, — by himself; companionless! So 
walketh alone in the depth of the forest the king of animals 
— the lion — with his Self, the only Companion of his solitude. 
And rejoicing in that Companionship 1 ! Verily doth the King 
of men rejoice to go about companionless in the wilderness 
of the world! 

Awestruck, speechless, doth M. look on the Master! He 
thinketh to himself, 'Here is Man's Ideal realized indeed! 
Man scorning the ground and communing with the Infinite!' 

1 Atmaram. 



MCASTER AND "DISCIPLES 47 

Master (to M.): — How is it that thou comest back? 

M. : — Sir, I am afraid it is some rich man's house to which 
Thou askest me to go. Well, there may be porters and other 
people standing in my way. I think I had better not go. It is 
here that I should like to meet thee always. 

Master: — Why, my dear Sir? — thou shalt mention my 
name! Say that thou desirest to see me; and doubtless some- 
body will lead thee to me. 

M.: — As the Master pleaseth. 

Saying this, M. boweth down again and departed. 



SECTION II. 

1882 

VISIT TO PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYAsAGAR 

CHAPTER I. 

Present: — Vidyasagar, Bhavanath, M., Hazra and many 
others. 

The Master had a great desire to see Pandit Ishwara Chandra 
Vidyasagara. One afternoon, he was seen taking a carriage 
and coming with his disciples all the way from Dakshine- 
shwara, a distance of about six miles, to see the Pandit in his 
house at Badurbagan, a district in Calcutta. 

It was Saturday, the 5th of August, 1882, about 5. P. M.; 
the seventh lunar day in the dark forthnight of the month of 
Shrabana. 

The carriage drew up in front of the door of the Pandit's 
house. The Master alighteth, supported by M. Before reach- 
ing the staircase that led up to the Pandit's library, which was 
also his drawing-room, he said to M. with some concern; 
"I say, dost thou think I ought to button my coat?" 

M. answered, saying, "Oh don't trouble thyself, Lord, on 
that account. Things of this kind are not at all binding upon 
thee." 

The Master, childlike, seemed to be convinced, for he paid 
no further attention to it. He looked as teachable as a five- 
year-old child! 

The party was then led upstairs into a room next to the 
landing with the door looking out towards the south. In this 
room the Pandit was seated on a chair, facing the south. A 
table, after the European fashion, with books and papers lying 
about, was before him, as usual. 

M. then announced the Master's arrival and at once intro- 
duced him to the Pandit who stood up to receive him. The 
Master stood with his face to the west, and with one hand 
resting on the table. He looked on the Pandit in silence. 
But his sweet, child-like, radiant face was wreathed in smiles. 

There was some company present, including the Pandit's 
friends and pupils. One of them was a boy who had come 
to ask for a free studentship in connection with one of the 
schools of which the Pandit was founder and proprietor. 



VISIT TO PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 49 

Standing and thus looking at the Pandit, the Master, as 

usual, lost all sense-consciousness. He had passed into the 

state of Samadhi. After a while, taking his seat 

The Master in 1 • j 1 • . " I 

Samadhi ^ e saic *> as was nis wont, 1 want some water 

to drink." Thereupon Vidyasagar inquired 
of M. whether the Master would like to take some sweet- 
meats 1 also, which he had just received from Burdwan. Find- 
ing no objection, the Pandit went into his inner apartments 
and soon came back with the water and the sweetmeats. He 
placed them before the Master. The disciples also partook 
of them. 

When they offered to one of the disciples, Vidyasagara 
said, "Oh he is a child of this house. Never mind him." 
Thereupon the Master said, "Yes, this young man is good. 
He is like the river Falgu with an apparently dried-up bed, 
but with an active, invisible current underneath. Internally 
he is full 2 of pith and marrow." 

Master (to Vidyasagar): — This day I am at last fortunate 

enough to come down to the ocean 3 . Up till now I came 

across canals, marshes, or, at most, rivers. 

leaZcodwaJ* (Laughter.) (Here the Master referred to the 

literal meaning of the word Vidyasagar, which 

meaneth the 'Ocean of knowledge/) 

Vidyasagar: — Then, Sir, thou art welcome to take home 
some salt water from thy ocean. (Laughter.) 

Master: — No, my dear Sir, thou art surely not the salt 
ocean. Thou art not the ocean of Avidya (Ignorance which 
leadeth one away from God). Thou art the ocean of milk, 
the ocean of Vidya (True knowledge leading Godward). 
(Laughter.) 

Vidyasagar: — Well, Sir, I am afraid thou mayst say that. 
(Laughter.) 

Master: — Thy nature is made of the sattva element of man's 
nature which leadeth to Illumination or True Knowledge. 
Only thy sattva is in that phase which maketh 
AtZchm'enT tnee actrve an( i devoted to the doing of good 

works. Charity 5 , kindness 6 towards others are 
good, if practised without attachment. So practised and with 
devotion 7 they will lead to God. 

Further, I should say that thou deservest to be called a 
Perfect Man; for has not thy kindness for others made thee 

1 Mithai. 2 Antassara. 3 Sagar. 4 Vidya. 5 Dana. 6 Daya. 7 Bhakti. 



50 GOSPEL OF SRI HAMAKRISHNA 

soft and tender of heart? Bear in mind, potatoes and other 
vegetables do not get tender until they are Siddha (well- 
boiled). {Laughter.) 

(The word Siddha may mean either 'a perfect man* or 
'well-boiled.' Hence the pun on the word by the Master.) 

Vidyasagar: — But Kalai pulse pounded to pulp when Siddha 
(well-boiled) gets hard and is by no means tender. Is it not 
so? (Laughter.) 

Master (laughing): — Well, my dear Sir, thou art no such 
thing; I mean, thou art not a mere pandit, — dry and hard and 
good for nothing. 

In the Hindu almanac, it is mentioned that on a particular 

day there will be 20 Adas* of water, But thou shalt not be 

able to squeeze out of the almanac a single 

vl™o?Me7e the dr °P ! 

Book-learning Our so-called learned men will talk big. They 

will talk of Brahman, God the Absolute, of 
Jnana Yoga, Philosophy, Ontology, and the rest. But there 
are very few that realize the things they talk about. 

The highest learning is that by which we know God. 

All else — the sacred books 2 , Philosophy, Logic, Grammar, 
etc., etc., as such, only load and puzzle the mind. They are 
good only when they lead to the Highest Learning. 

In one sense there is no use going through the whole of 
the Lord's Song 3 . 

Say "Gita," "Gita," ten times. That is sufficent. For said 

ten times, it cometh to be "tyagi," (< tyagi." Now tyagi meaneth 

a person giving up the world for the sake of 

The Substance of /"■ 1 • i l l *. 1 . . l j. 

BhagavaJgita Liod — riches, honors, work with attachment, 

sensual pleasures, etc. 

In one word, the Gita sayeth, "Give up." The ideal San- 
nyasin (ascetic) will give up the secular work and the fruit of 
all works. 

The ideal house-holder 4 will give up the world from the 
mind, i. e., he will give up the fruits of all works for the sake 
of the Love 5 of God. 

Thus the substance of the Gita is, 'O man, love the Lord 
alone — give up everything for the sake of the Lord.' 

A holy man had a manuscript book with him. Somebody 
asked him what it was about. The saint opened the book 

1 Paravidya. 2 Shastras. 3 Gita. 4 Grihastha. 5 Bhakti. 
* Adas are measures of capacity. 



VISIT TO "PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 51 

before the man, who was surprised to find that on every page 
was written only the name of God — the words, 'Om Rama!' 

Chaitanya Deva, in the course of his pilgrimage through 
the Deccan, came across a certain devotee who was in tears 
all the while that a Pandit was reading from the Gita. Now 
this devotee knew not letters. He could not follow a single 
text of the Gita. Upon being asked why he shed tears, he 
replied, 'It is indeed true that I do not know a word of the 
Gita. But all the while that it was being read I could not help 
seeing with my inner eye the beautiful form of my Lord Sri 
Krishna seated before Arjuna in the field of Kurukshetra and 
saying all those things that are said in the Gita. This it was 
which filled my eyes with tears of joy and love.' 

This man who knew not letters had the Highest Learning, 
for he had a pure love 1 for God and could realize Him. 

THE MASTER ON JNANA YOGA ; THE VEDANTA OR ADVAITA 
PHILOSOPHY, OR PHILOSOPHY OF THE UNCONDITIONED 

Master: — Well, I was talking of Vidya. But Brahman is above 

and beyond Vidya (the relative Knowledge which leadeth 

Godward), as well as A vidya (the world which 

^Vedant^-Th! Absolute kee P etn a11 beings away from the knowledge 

and the Unconditioned of God). 

The Knowledge leading Godward is the last, 
topmost step of the stairs leading up to the roof. The Abso- 
lute is the roof. 

The phenomenal world 2 is made up of that 3 which leadeth 
Godward and that 4 which doth not. Thus God the Absolute 5 
is above and beyond the phenomenal world. 

The Absolute is unattached to good or evil. It is like the 
light of a lamp. You may read the Holy Scriptures 6 with the 

help of that light. It is equally open to you to 
ib) The Absolute is f orge a d ocumen t with criminal intent in the 

Perfectly unattached : 1. 1 . 

-r, p ,, , same light. 

I he Problem of a • 1 Al 1 VI 1 T-1 

Good and Evil solved Again, the Absolute is like a snake. 1 he 
snake hath poison in its fangs. But it is none 
the worse for it. The poison doth not affect it or cause its 
death. It is poison in relation to other creatures whom it 
may come to bite. 

Whatever misery, whatever sin, whatever evil we find in 
this world is misery, sin and evil relatively to us. God the 

1 Bhakti. 2 Maya. 3 Vidya. 4 Avidya. 5 Brahman. 6 Bhagavat. 



52 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Absolute is not affected thereby. He is above and beyond 
all these things. 

Evil in creation is not evil to the Absolute and the Uncon- 
ditioned any more than the venom in the fangs of the snake 
is venom to the snake. He is above and boyond Good and 
Evil. 

Yes, that Being is perfectly unattached. He is not to be 
judged by any human standard of good and evil. His sun 
sheddeth light equally on the evil and the good. 

Everything — even the revealed Scriptures, the Vedas, the 
Puranas, the Tantras and all other sacred books have, with 
one sole exception, become, as it were, 
UnsplakabZ' 3 defiled 2 like leavings of food, having been 

uttered by the mouth of human beings. That 
One Exception is Brahman. For when one readeth the Vedas 
and other sacred books one must use the vocal organs and 
thus cause them (the books) to be in touch with the mouth, 
so to speak. Thus they may be said to have all been defiled 
like leavings of food. But no creature in this world has yet 
been able to give proper and adequate expression to God the 
Absolute. He is unspeakable, unthinkable, inconceivable! 

Vidyasagar : — I must say, here is, indeed, something that I 
have learnt to-day. The Absolute is the One Substance that 
has never have defiled by the mouth! 

Master: — Yes, that is so. It is a Being not conditioned by 
anything — Time 3 , Space 4 , the Law of Causation 5 , etc. How 
can one give expression to it by any word of mouth? 

The Absolute is again like the unfathomable ocean. No- 
thing can be predicated of it — the Being beyond the bounds 
of Relativity — of all existence! The last feeble attempt to 
describe this Being — the attempt made in the Vedas — is to 
call Him by the name of Bliss 6 Everlasting! 

If thou art asked to describe the ocean, thou standest with 
thy mouth wide open and canst only stammer out, "Oh what 
a vast expanse! what a lot of waves! what thundering sound, 
incessant and eternal!" That is all! 

The utmost that Sukadeva and holy sages like him could 
do was to see and to touch the water of this Immortal Sea, 
and taste a bit! Had he gone down into that Sea, he would 
have been merged into It, never to have come back into this 
world any more! 

1 Avyapadesyam. 2 Ucchista. 3 Kala. 4 Desa. 5 Nimitta. c Anandam. 



VISIT TO 'PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 53 

Once upon a time, some ants came to a mountain of sugar. 

The ants, of course, had no idea that it was such a big thing. 

They ate up a few particles of the sugar and 

(</) The Great Mystery we re filled. Then they took each a particle. 

isUnfathomalle by Ag ^ went fa^ w ^ bought the next 

Conditioned Knowudje: • 11111 1 l 

Parable of the Ants and time they would be able to take away the 
the Mountain of Sugar whole mountain to their place of habitation! 

Such, alas, is the condition of man! It is given 
to some few, indeed, to realize the Supreme Being 1 . But, 
unfortunately, many run away with the idea that they have 
fully known, fully enjoyed communion with, fully realized, 
that Infinite Being! 

The sugar mountain seemeth to be all but carried home by 
the ant; for is it not filled and satisfied with its meal? Thus, 
too, the self-deluded rationalist! He is satisfied with his 
ounce of reason. Ergo, he comprehendeth Brahman! — he 
knoweth what the Absolute is and what It is not!!! 

People talk glibly of the Infinite, the Absolute, the Uncon- 
ditioned, as if they had a conception of It all! 

Sukadeva and other holy sages were at best ants of the 
larger sort. If we say that they were able to eat up eight or 
ten particles of the sugar, we have said enough in their 
favor. 

It is just as absurd to say that God the Absolute has been 
known and comprehended by anybody, as it is to say that a 
mountain of sugar has been carried home by some ants to be 
eaten up. 

The union between the Undifferentiated (the Universal 
Soul) and the Differentiated (the individualized soul 2 ) is the 

goal of the Vedantin. 
(e) The Goal of the Once upon a time a doll made of salt went up 
to the sea with a view to measure its depth. 
tup ki fii~ The salt doll had a sounding line and lead in 

1 he f arable of the => 

Salt Doll its hand. It came to the edge or the water 

and looked on the mighty ocean that was 
before it. Up to this point it had continued to be the salt 
doll that it actually was, keeping its own individuality. But 
no sooner did it take one step forward, and put its foot to the 
water, than it became one with the ocean — lost — entirely lost 
to view! Every particle of the salt doll now melted away in 
the sea-water. The salt of which it was made had come from 

1 Brahman. 2 Jiva. 



54 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

the ocean, and behold, it came back once more to get reunited 
to the original salt of the ocean! 

The ' Differentiated ' once more became one with the 'Un- 
differentiated.' 

The human soul is the salt doll — the Differentiated Indi- 
vidualized Ego. The Absolute, the Unconditioned — is the 
Infinite Salt Ocean — the Undifferentiated Ego. 

The salt doll could not come back and tell of the depth of 
the Mighty Ocean. Such is he who is fortunate enough to 
realize God the Absolute in the unfathomable depth of 
Samadhi 1 which wipeth out all individuality. Undifferentiated 
as he is, he comes not back out of the deep to tell the world 
the nature of God, the Absolute and Unconditioned. For if 
it be ever possible, my Mother willing, for the salt doll to 
come back differentiated again, it must speak in the terms of 
the finite — in the language of the Differentiated. It must 
behave as an inhabitant of the relative phenomenal world. 

This is why the Great Mystery defies all attempts at explana- 
tion. The Absolute and Unconditioned cannot be stated in 
terms of the Relative, the Conditioned. The Infinite cannot 
be expressed in the terms of the Finite. 

A certain father had two sons. When they were of age he 

wished to put them on the first stage of life — that of the 

student . To this end they were placed under 

tyold all Plication the 1 Gare °/ a preceptor and with him made to 

go through the Vedas and other sacred books. 

Parabk of the Vedic j n tn i s way there passed some days. The 

father and his two f .1 "11 . 1 . 1_ 

rather wished now to see how the young men 

were on with their studies. He sent for them 

and asked them whether they had read the Vedanta which 

purports to teach the Highest Knowledge to the aspirant. 

The sons replied that they had. 

Father: — So, my boys, you have read the Vedanta. Well, 
tell me what sort of a Being is God 3 , the Absolute? 

Eldest son (quoting the Vedas and other Scriptures): — O 
father, It is not capable 4 of being expressed by words, or of 
being known by the mind. O, Fie is so and so; I know it all. 
(Here quotes texts from the Vedanta.) 

Father: — Very well, that will do. So thou hast known 
Brahman; thou mayest go about thy business. Now, my boy, 

1 Nirvikalpa. 2 Brahmacharin. 3 Brahman. 4 Avangmanasogocharam. 



VISIT TO <P AUDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 55 

let me hear what thou hast got to say. What sort of a Being 
is the Absolute? 

The second son, to whom this question was put, hung 
down his head and sat quite mute. Not a word proceeded 
out of his mouth, Nor did he make any attempt to speak. 
He continued in this state for a long time. 

The father thereupon said, 'Yes, my boy, thou art after all 
right. Nothing can be predicated of the Absolute and the 
Unconditioned! No sooner dost thou talk of Him one way 
or the other, than thou statest the Infinite in terms of the 
Finite, the Absolute in terms of the Relative, the Uncondi- 
tioned in terms of the Conditioned. The silence is more 
eloquent than the recitation of a hundred texts 1 and the quot- 
ing of a hundred authorities.' 

Yes, he who hath True Knowledge ceaseth to have anything 

to do with talking or controversy.. God, the Absolute, is the 

one Substance to be realized — not described 

(/) Realization or known. The sign of True Knowledge or 

Realization is cessation of doubt and therefore 

of philosophical discussion. 

How long doth the clarified butter in a pan set over a 
cooking-stove go on making a noise? Why, so long as it doth 
not get to the right degree of heat so as not to have any trace 
of water left. The clarified butter not sufficiently hot bub- 
bleth up and it giveth forth that well-known sound kawl, \avol. 

Like the butter melted to the right temperature and not 
giving any sound is he who has got True Knowledge — that 
is, who has realized God, the Absolute. 

The butter not heated is the aspirant for knowledge. The 
water with which it hath got mixed must be made to go off 
by its being set over the fire. This is the ego or self which 
gets very clamorous in the process of being got rid off. As 
soon as this egoism is shaken off it is pucka- No noise, no 
clamor, (Laughter.) 

At the same time the impurities all settle down on the 
bottom of the pan. Worldliness or attachment to women — 
'carnality and gold' — and their attendant evils (sensuality, 
work with attachment, etc.) are the impurities. 

Again, the Perfect Man is like the pitcher of water filled to 
the brim. When the pitcher is being filled, it gives out a 
gurgling sound, hawk, hawk- As soon as it is filled the sound 

1 Slokas. 



56 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

ceases altogether. The sound is reasoning or discrimination 
leading up, my Mother willing, to True Knowledge. The 
sound tells us that the pitcher has not been filled up. Discrim- 
inating 1 , too, proves that the Goal has not yet been reached. 

The bee buzzeth so long as it doth not settle down on the 
flower and begin to drink of the honey. As soon as it tasteth 
the honey, all buzzing is at an end. 

The question now ariseth, how do we explain the relation 
between a 'Perfect' Preceptor and his disciples? The pre- 
ceptor must talk with a view to drive away 

Is Discriminating ^ ignorance Q f tne disciple. This is discHm- 

possible after , , 1 • 1 l 1 1 

True Knowledge? mating — which, however, does no harm. 

The butter in a pan set over the fire when 
melted to the right degree of heat hath no doubt ceased to 
make any sound. But throw in an unbaked cake 2 into the hot 
melted butter, and the result is that the heated butter in con- 
tact with the water in the cake once more begins to give off 
sounds. The sound goes on so long as the cake is not suffi- 
ciently fried and made ready for eating. 

The cake is the disciple. The sound which the heated 
butter (i. e., preceptor) makes the second time is the process 
of discrimination which he is called upon to go through in 
order that the disciple might be brought to light. The cessa- 
tion of the sound tells us that the preceptor has stopped 
talking as soon as the disciple hath been illumined. 

The result of the foregoing position is that the Higher Self 3 
alone knoweth the Higher Self. He, the Knowledge Abso- 
lute is capable of being realized by Him, the 
( f Th L e H * h Z Self Knowledge A bsolute alone. 

alone knoweth the .-p., ,->. . ti- • l o l l 

Higher Self *■ " e Differentiated boui, so long as it conti- 

nueth to be differentiated and walketh on the 
lower plane cannot as such realize God, the Absolute. 

The Undifferentiated alone realizeth the Undifferentiated. 
This is the true meaning of the expression 'God is unknown 
and unknowable.' 

All differentiation takes place in the domain of Maya. In 
other words, Maya causes the differentiation. It ends with 

the cessation of Maya. 
Waya)° r isunrTa7 A11 the facts of the universe— every object, 
every phenomenon — that comes under crea- 
tion, preservation and destruction — under body, mind and 

1 Vichara. 2 Luchi (Poori). 3 Atman. 4 Bodhaswarupam. 



VISIT TO PANDIT 1SHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAQAR 57 

soul; under" waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep, even in 
meditation 1 , etc., all come under Maya (the world-system). 
All these are looked upon as unreal by those 
Vedanta Philosophy that interpret ^ e Vedanta Philosophy after 

interpreted by the o i 1 .1 VI 

School of Sankara bankara and the like. 

According to these, the Absolute is the only 
Reality; the universe 3 is unreal, i. e., when looked at from 
the point of view of the Absolute. To the Absolute or the 
Undifferentiated, the universe and man and other creatures 6 
are unreal, for the only Reality is the Absolute. 

When Maya is realized as unreal the differentiated ego 6 has 
been completely shaken off or effaced, so to speak. There is 
no trace of the ego left behind. It is perfect Samadhi. 

It is absurd to say 'the world is unreal' so long as we remain 
convinced that we ourselves are real! A person who has not 
realized the Absolute cannot realize that the world is unreal. 

On the other hand, a saint returning from Samadhi to a 
lower spiritual plane gets back, my Mother willing, his differ- 
entiated, attenuated, though purified, ego. 

Getting back his ego the saint is thrown once more upon 
the world of relativity. So long as his ego is real to him (real 
relativity), the world is real too, and the Absolute is unreal 
(unreal relativity).' 

He with his differentiated ego restored to him perceiveth 
the world-system (Maya) as real. Only the ego being purified 
by God-Vision, he seeth the phenomena of the universe as 
manifestations of the Absolute to the senses. He also seeth 
the world-system (Maya) as either Vidya or Avidya. 

Vidya leadeth Godward. To this belong discrimination 7 , 
non-attachment 8 , love of God 9 , etc. Avidya leadeth away from 
God. To this belong carnality 10 , riches 11 , honors, work with 
attachment, etc. 

Vijnanis are they who have realized God in Samadhi both 
(1) as Impersonal or the Undifferentiated, and (2) as God 

personal. 
Realization: (Literally Vijnani means, he who possesseth 

Reconciliation between • . jy 1 -i f /> i\ 

the Non-dualist and ■"[ intimate Knowledge or God.) 
the Dualist Vijnanis have realized that the Absolute and 

Unconditioned it is who, as the Primal Divine 
Energy, causeth this differentiation 12 , namly, God, the world- 

1 Dhyan. 2 Vedantists or Jnanis. 8 Jagat. 4 Mithya. 5 Jiva. 6 Aham. 7 Viveka 
SVairagya. 9 Bhakti. "> Kamini. " Kanchan. 12 Bheda. 



58 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

system, the soul and the universe. They have seen God both 
within and without and have received this Revelation from 
Him direct. God (Personal) hath said to them, 'I am the 
Absolute (Brahman Nirgunam of the Upanishads) realized in 
Samadhi. I have caused this differentiation. I am the Origin of 
the twenty-four categories — of the human soul and the world.' 

The Personal God causing this differentiation — creating, 
sustaining, destroying — hath manifested Himself in various 
forms to those 1 that seek the Personal God 2 alone, as well as to 
the Vijnanis, as a Person with the three qualities 3 . 

The Sattca Gunas (material) of the Divine Person preserveth, 
the Rajas createth, and the Tamas destroyeth. These three 
Gunas dwell in the Divine Person. But He is not in them. 
He is quite unattached. 

The Vijnani, with his soul (his ego) purified, hath thus seen 

God, i. e.y the Personal side of the Absolute as well as the 

Impersonal. He hath heard His voice both 

(J) The only Proof of ^^ and without him Not Qn l SQ He 
Liod, Impersonal or ■. , n i 11. Till"* 1 

Personal: Revelation nath talketh to Him. He hath ministered 
unto Him as father, mother, son, wife, servant, 
brother, etc. According to the testimony of these perfect men 
— these Vijnanis — therefore the world-system is not an illu- 
sion, but the manifestation to the differentiated but purified 
ego of a Real Being as a Person who has created (or from 
whom have been evolved) the human soul and the soul of 
every created being as well as this universe. 

This testimony is infallible because based upon Revelation. 

The Lord revealed Himself unto the Rishis as both Personal 
and Impersonal. Such revelation is made from time to time 
for the salvation of mankind as well as the joy of devotees. 

When the Supreme Being is thought of as inactive 5 — neither 

creating, sustaining nor destroying — I call Him by the name 

Brahman or Purusha (the Male Principle), the 

The Impersonal ana t i y> i W/l I ±.1 ■ 1 C T !• 

the Personal God Impersonal God. When I think of Him as 

active — creating, sustaining, destroying — I call 
Him by the name of Shakti, or Maya, or Prakriti (the Female 
Principle), or the Personal God. 

Analogies indeed do not go on all fours with the things 
to be made clear by them. They are at best one-sided , being 
intended to clear up one particular phase of an unknown 
thing and bring it out from obscurity. 

1 Bhaktas. 2 Shakti or Ishwara. 3 Gunas. 4 Maya or Shakti. 5 Nishkriya. 6 Ekadeshi. 



VISIT TO "PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 59 

Illustration: 'He is a tiger' does not mean he is a tiger in 

every respect, even to the head, the teeth, the claws, the tail! 

It is not meant that he hath claws or a tail 

The uce of analogies like a tiger. The meaning is simply that he 

is fearful-looking. 
No analogy can be perfectly satisfactory to explain the rela- 
tion between the Impersonal and the personal God. It is a 
thing to be realized. 

Yet analogies enable us to catch a glimpse, however faint, 
of the real state of things regarding matters spiritual which go 
beyond the bounds of sense-consciousness. 

But really the distinction between Brahman (God inactive) 

or Impersonal God on the one hand and Shakti (God active) 

or Personal God on the other, is a distinction 

CO One ana the same •, 1 , V/T 

Bein without a dirrerence. 

The Impersonal and the Personal are one and 
the same Being, even as fire and its burning property are one. 
Ye cannot conceive the fire apart from its power of burning. 

They are one, even as milk and the whiteness of milk are 
one. One cannot conceive the milk without the whiteness. 

They are one, even as a gem and its brightness are one. 

They are one, even as a serpent and its movement in a 
crooked line are one. Ye cannot conceive the serpent with- 
out its serpentine tortuous motion. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE OMNIPOTENT MOTHER 

Master: — As I have already said the Personal God createth, 
preserveth and destroyeth. She hath made Herself manifest as 
■' " , powers or phenomena leading Godward 1 and 

Is Cod Partial ? 1 ll- f 

Areallmeneaual? % s P 2 °™? rs ° r Phenomena leading away from 

God . Manifestation of this Omnipotent Power 

differs in varying centres of activity. In men as well as in other 

creatures, this varies. For variety is the law — not sameness. 

Vidyasagar: — Is it then the case, Sir, that we come into the 
world with unequal endowments? Is the Lord partial to a 
select few? 

Master: — Well, I am afraid thou must take the facts of the 
universe as they are. It is not given to man to see clearly 
into the ways of the Lord. 

1 Vidya Shakti. 2 Avidya Shakti. 3 Shakti. 



60 QOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

As the 'Omnipresent 1 ' He is present in and through all 
creatures, — in and through all things — even in the smallest of 
His creatures, the ant for instance. Yes, God is immanent in 
all His creatures. But the fact remaineth, that these creatures 
do vary in their power and endowments. 

If that were not the case, how is it that one man is very 
often a match for ten men and beateth them? We all know 
how another would run away before a single individual who 
is more than his match. 

As in the physical, so in the moral world; so, too, in the 
spiritual world. Morality varieth. There, too, are different 
degrees of spirituality. 

Allow me to put it to thee, why is it that thou enjoyest the 
respect of all far more than many other people? Surely thou 
dost not mean to say that thou art a phenomenon, that thou 
hast a couple of horns standing out from the front of thy 
head and that, therefore, people come to see thee. (Laughter.) 

No. Variety is the lav/ and my Divine Mother is the One 
Being manifest as many. Herself of infinite power She hath 
become differentiated into living creatures 2 , and all other 
things 3 of the universe — of varying powers and endowments 
— physical, intellectual, moral or spiritual. 

And my Divine Mother is no other than the Absolute (the 
Brahman of the Vedanta). 

And the Master sang: — 

PSALM 
My Divine Mother: Omnipotent, Unknown, Unknowable 

1 . Is there anybody who knoweth Kali, My Divine Mother 4 , She 
Who is the Consort of the Absolute 5 (or the Spirit of Eternity). Even 
the six schools of philosophy do not get a sight of Her. 

The yogi always meditateth upon Her at the Muladhara* and at 
the Sahasraraf. 

There go about a goose and a gander in this wilderness of lotus 
and these associate with each other. These are the Spirit of Eternity 6 
and His Consort. 

2. My Divine Mother is the most beloved of the Absolute 7 , even 
as Sita is the most beloved of Rama. 

1 Vibhu. 2 Jiva. 3 Jagat. 4 Kali. 5 Kala. 6 Siva or Brahma. 7 Siva. 

* The Muladhara is the first lotus with four petals in which the yogi meditates upon 
Siva and Shakti (God Impersonal and Personal) as manifest in their glory. It is the root of 
the Sushumna in the spinal cord. 

t Sahasrara is the lotus with a thousand petals which is the goal of the Shakti waked up 
by the yogi at the Muladhara. When the Shakti reaches the Sahasrara and gets united to 
Siva or Brahman (the Impersonal God), the result is Samadhi in Brahma-jnana. 



VISIT TO "PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 61 

It is the Spirit of Eternity 1 (the Absolute) that knoweth the great- 
ness of my Divine Mother — greatness which is hidden from the 
view of ordinary beings. Who else can know to such an extent? 

3. My Divine Mother giveth birth to the Universe — now think of 
Her greatness ! 

She appeareth in Her majesty in each finite being 2 as an individual 
just as She pleaseth. She hath Her own way 3 in everything. 

4. Saith Prasad (the psalmist) : ' To think that one can know Her 
is to think that one can swim across the great, mighty ocean. People 
only laugh at the idea ! ' 

I understand this well enough by the mind, but alas ! my heart 4 
will not see this. It is a dwarf that must aspire to get at the Moon. 

At the end of this hymn the Master is once more found to 
be in that indescribable region of Samadhi. The sweet angelic 

voice hath become still. The outer eyes have 
st^hi terin become fixed and steadfast. The inner eye 

Relations in Samadhi looketh within and beholdeth the Vision of 

Glory. The Blessed Vision the Master en- 
joyeth for a while. His face shineth with a heavenly luster 
and at last breaketh into smiles. 

Half returning to the plane of consciousness, he sayeth, 
'Yes, my Holy Mother is none other than the Absolute*. 
She it is to whom the six systems of philosophy, with all the 
learned disquisitions that are in them, furnish no clue. 

The differentiated ego being taken away by my Mother, 
there cometh the realization of the Impersonal in Samadhi and 

then it is the Impersonal God — not the indi- 
Mothe™"' vidual soul — that realizeth the Impersonal. 

With the ego purified and as such retained, 
the seeing or realization of the Personal God or any of Her 
manifestations is possible by Her Grace — manifestations, such 
as Sri Krishna, Chaitanya Deva and other Divine Incarnations, 
etc., etc. — manifestations as men, women, children and all 
living creatures; nay, all the twenty-four categories. 

It pleaseth my Mother, the Personal God, to efface the self 
in selfless 5 Samadhi. The result is the realization of the Im- 
personal God in Samadhi. 

Sometimes it pleaseth Her to keep that self on in Her 
devotees and then to appear before them (as a Personal God) 
and talk to them. 

1 Mahakala. 2 Ghata. s Ichhamai. 4 Prana. 5 Nirvikalpa. 

* Brahman of the Vedanta: Atmani Chaibam Vichitras Chahi — Brahma Sutras, 28, i, ii. 



62 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

The key to the realization of the Absolute is with the Divine 
Person alone, the Saguna Brahman of the Upanishads, the Per- 
sonal God of devotees. 
Revelation versus The power of discrimination 1 which the phi- 

Reason: losopher relieth upon cometh from Her, my 

e enona o Divine Mother (the Personal God). 

how proved: ill T • i 

The impersonal God Un the other hand, prayer, meditation, devo- 
how proved tion, self-surrender, are all derived from my 

Omnipotent Mother. 
Again, the knowing one in Samadhi is sometimes kept on in 
that state and sometimes not. Who keepeth Him on in that 
blesseth state? Who bringeth Him down to the lower plane 
of sense-consciousness? Why, it is the Divine Person, my 
Holy Mother. 

Such a Person cannot be unreal. She is the Personal side 
of the one Reality, the Absolute (Brahman of the Vedanta). 
Yes, my Mother has declared unto Her children, 'I am;' 'I am 
the Mother of the Universe,' 'I am the Brahman of the Ved- 
anta,' 'I am the Atman of the Upanishads.' 

Thus the Personal God revealeth Herself. Revelation is 
the proof of Her existence. 

Again, the Impersonal Undifferentiated God, the Absolute, 
is revealed by the Personal God, I e., the Personal side of God 
the Absolute 2 . The saint in Samadhi cannot say anything 
about the Absolute. Like the salt doll getting into touch with 
the mighty ocean he is lost! Nor can he, coming down from 
Samadhi, say anything about the Absolute. Once differen- 
tiated, he is mute as to the Undifferentiated. Once in the 
relative world, his mouth is shut as to the Absolute and 
Unconditioned. 

My Mother (the Personal side of the Absolute) saith, 'I am 
the Absolute (the Nirguna Brahman of the Upanishads).' 

Thus, too, Revelation is the only proof of the Impersonal 
God. 

However one may describe the Absolute or the Impersonal, 
one must throw one's differentiated ego into the description. 
His Absolute is at least covered, so to speak, by this ego. 

Surely with our feeble powers of ratiocination and discri- 
mination 1 , we cannot reach the Absolute. Hence, revelation 
not ratiocination, inspiration not reason. 

1 Vichara. 2 Mahakala. 



VISIT TO "PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 63 

The manifestation of the Personal God is often a spiritual 
form which is seen only by the purified human soul. In other 

words, these forms are realized by the organs 
D P ^ ( ua of spiritual vision, belonging to that spiritual 

body which is derived from the Lord. 
It is not everybody, but the perfect man alone, that can see 
these divine forms through the grace of my Mother. 

Once Ramachandra (God Incarnate) said to his great 
devotee 2 , 'My son, tell me in what relation thou regardest me, 

and how thou meditatest upon me.' The 
The Path of Knowledge devotee replied, 'O Rama, at times when the 
or Philosophy and the conviction 3 \ am tne body, clingeth to me, I 

Path of Devotion or ,. -., , TT _, . . , , 4 ^ , 

Love, equally lead h worship i hee as the one Undivided God; 
Realization then I look upon myself as part of Thee — a 

fragment, as it were, of Divinity! At other 
times I meditate upon Thee as my Divine Master, and think 
myself as Thy servant. When, however, I am blessed, O 
Rama, with Knowledge 6 of God, the Absolute, I see, I realize, 
that / am Thou and Thou art Me. ' 

The devotee meant that after Samadhi his T was merged or 
lost in Rama; by which he meant the Undifferentiated Ego, 
God the Absolute and Unconditioned. This is Brahmajnana. 

Again, suppose there is an Infinite Expanse of Water — 
water above, water beneath, water in all directions. Portions 
of the water we may imagine get changed 
to Wate°r " * nto * ce ky contact with cold and thus solidi- 

fied. Again, suppose that the same ice is 
exposed to heat, then the solid ice is liquified. It is changed 
into water once more. 

The Absolute is the Infinite Expanse of Water. The por- 
tions of this water that are changed into ice are the Spiritual 
Personal Forms of the Deity manifest to devotees. The cold 
is the Bhafcti of the devotee, his love, his devotion, his self- 
surrender. The heat again is discrimination between the 
Real (f. e., God the Absolute) and the unreal or phenomenal 
universe, leading up to selfless 7 Samadhi and the total efface- 
ment of the self which saith 'I,' 'I.' 

To a devotee (dualist worshipper), the Lord may manifest 
Himself in various forms. To a person that reacheth, my 
Mother willing, to the height of Absolute Knowledge in 

1 Bagavati Tanu. 2 Hanuman 3 Dehatma-buddhi. 4 Puma. 6 Amsa. 6 Tatwa-jnana. 
7 Nirvikalpa. 



64 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Samadhi, He is the Absolute once more, Formless, Uncon- 
ditioned. 

Herein is the reconciliation between realization by philoso- 
phy 1 and that by love 2 . 

To him to whom it had been given to realize the Imper- 
sonal-Personal God, it hath been revealed that the twenty-four 
categories* (taking in the external world) have 
What h the external a \\ k een derived from the Mother. 

IdeJy of God, the Be [t known tnat tne Hol y Mother is both 
Soul and Nature One and Many, and the Absolute beyond 

One and Many. She hath not only differen- 
tiated into the ego within man, but also into the other various 
categories. 

The Advaitist's position, viz., Brahman is God, the Absolute 
and Uncondiated, must be accepted in its entirety; because, 
first, Brahman has been realized in Samadhi: 
The New Philosophy and, secondly, because Brahman has been 
revealed by my Mother as the Unconditined 
that may be realized in Samadhi alone, and as being the Im- 
personal side of Her own Self. Let not anybody, however, 
say, 'My position is the only correct, rational and tenable 
position; those that believe in a Personal God are wrong; 
the Personal God is a myth; the Personal God has no power 
to give liberation 8 , etc' 

The philosophical Advaitist, so long as he relies on the 
unaided powers of his reason, answers this question by say- 
ing, 'I do not know how this delusion {viz., 
The Problem for the the fact of the Undifferentiated Ego 4 being 
Philosophical differentiated into the individual soul) has 

A dvaitist : — How can 1 , » 

the Perfect Soul be £°me about. ; 

led to think that it is The answer which realization giveth is con- 
imperfect? elusive. My Mother (the Personal side of God 

the Absolute) saith: 'It is I, the Brahman of 
the Vedanta, that have caused this differentiation.' So long 
as ye say, 'I do know,' or 'I do not know,' ye look upon your- 
self as a person. Being a person, ye must take these differen- 
tiations as facts — not delusions. 

My Divine Mother saith again, 'It is only when / efface all 
personality that the Undifferentiated (my Impersonal side) 

1 Jnana. 2 Bhakti. 3 Mukti. 4 Atman. 

* The five gross elements, the five subtle elements, the five external instruments, viz., the 
eye, etc., the five organs of sense, the mind, the determinative faculty (buddhi) and the ego. 



VISIT TO 'PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASACAR 65 

may be realized in Samadhi. ' And then it is all silence about 
delusion or no delusion, fact or no fact, knowing or not 
knowing. This is Knowledge 1 of the Absolute. 

CHAPTER III. 

THE GREAT REVELATIONS AND THE NEW PHILOSOPHY 

Till then there is the T in me, and my Mother (the Per- 
sonal God), the Almighty, revealing Herself to Her children 
through various Forms 2 of Glory and through 
Ne'jX'Ta the Divine Incarnations, Sri Krishna, Chaitanya 

Personal GoJ Deva, etc., and manifesting Herself as the 

twenty- four categories — as living creatures 
and as the cosmos 4 . Yes, it is owing to Her power that no 
created being can get rid of this self which saith, 'I,* '1/ in all 
created beings and which maketh him of the earth earthly. 

In the second place, it is She, my Divine Mother, who 
teacheth Bhafcti (love, devotion, prayer and self-surrender) to 
the devotee and thus changeth his ego of the world into the 
ego of knowledge 6 , making the ego thin like a line — a length 
without breadth. Lastly, look at Her omnipotence! 

If it pleaseth Her, She may take away the last trace of this 
ego 8 from any created being and bless him with the Knowl- 
edge 1 of God, the Absolute and Unconditioned. This result 
is come to by the differentiated ego being merged or lost, by 
Her Grace, in the Undifferentiated Ego, — the Absolute — the 
Atman or the Brahman. 

You cannot shake off the self. Even those 7 that realized 
the Absolute in the ecstasy of Samadhi would come down, my 
Mother willing, to a lower plane and have just sufficient self 
left to hold communion with the Personal God. Is it not 
difficult to raise the voice incessantly to ni, the highest note 
of the gamut?* 

So long as thou art a person with an individuality of thy 
own, God will, if it so pleaseth Him, manifest Himself to thee 
as a Person. 

Nor canst thou conceive, think or perceive God otherwise 
than as a Person, so long as thou art a person. Such is the 
constitution of thy self. 

1 Brahmajnana. 2 Rupa. 3 Jiva. 4 Jagat. 5 Ego of Vidya. 8 Ahankara. 7 Atmaram. 
8 Aham. 

* Corresponding to the si of the European musical scale. 



66 GOSPEL OF SRI ftAMAKRISHNA 

The goal of the Advaitist is the merging of the conditioned 
ego into the Unconditioned Brahman. 

' v . . This is not meant by my Divine Mother for 

The A dvaitist and 1 i i- • . l . l ••. f 

ordinary men everybody. Jb or, with the majority of man- 

kind the ego is a thing which cannot be shaken 
off in this life, or any other life in the near future. 

Thus they (ordinary men) must, so long as they cannot 
attain Samadhi, meditate upon, commune with, the Personal 
God. For sages and the Scriptures 1 and Revelation all agree 
in assuring us that the Unconditioned doth manifest itself to 
man — both within him and without him — as a conditioned 
being; — the Impersonal as a personal God. These personal 
manifestations are by no means less real, but infinitely more 
real than the body, or the mind, or the external world. 
'Hence,' saith the Knowing One, 'is the necessity of a Per- 
sonal God.' 

It hath pleased my Divine Mother to have, in the course of 
creation (or evolution), become not only my (individualized) 

self, but also the external world. 
TheSecondj Identity j Q fa m a lone, who cometh down from Sama- 

of the Mother (the JL . L i f . 1- r. 

Personal God) with * ■*? the plane of sense-consciousness, is left 
the Soul and Cosmos a thin self (like a line — a length without 
breadth) just sufficient individuality to retain 
only the Spiritual Vision 2 . This enableth him to see the soul 
and the world as well as himself as my Holy Mother mani- 
festing Herself in these different multifarious forms 

This vision of Glory of my Holy Mother manifesting Herself 
in the course of evolution as the twenty-four categories, includ- 
ing the external world as well as the internal, is a vision not 
given to everybody to see and enjoy. The perception of this 
vision is granted unto him alone who hath realized the Form- 
less Impersonal God, Absolute and Unconditioned, in selfless 
Samadhi, and the Personal God with forms in conscious 
Samadhi. 

Yes, even the Knowing One who loseth his self in Samadhi 
and becometh one with the Absolute and thus realizeth It, is 
forced by some Unseen Power to come down to the lower 
plane of sense-consciousness. 

Who is this Unseen Power? This question bringeth us to my 
Omnipotent Mother (the Divine Person), who alone has it quite 
within Her power to keep both the self and efface it in Samadhi. 

1 Shastras. 2 Divya Chaksu. 3 Rupa. 



VISIT TO "PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 67 

The philosopher says it is Karma — previous works or works 
in previous incarnations — which causes the saint in Samadhi 

to come down to a lower plane. 
The Third: The Of course, so long as there is the self or ego 

Omnipotent Mother ^^ ; s koth the actor 1 and the action. There 
an aT ™ a - an ° j s a lik e the cause and the effect. Not only that; 

Personal give 1 -IT r !•"' • 

Knowledge of the there are as facts, also, the millions or living 

Absolute? creatures, the cosmos with the twenty-four 

categories, time past, time present, time future, 
previous births, future births and all other differentiations. 

But if there are these differentiations taken as stubborn facts, 
there is also the Almighty Differentiator, my Divine Mother, the 
Personal God 3 . 

The position is made stronger by Revelation. For, my 
Divine Mother saith, 'It is I who have caused this differentiation. 
Good works and bad works all obey Me. There is, true 
enough, the Law of Karma, but / am the Lawgiver. It lieth 
with Me to make and unmake laws. I order all Karma, good 
or bad. Therefore, come unto Me through love 4 , devotion, 
prayer, self-surrender or philosophy 5 , if you like; or with good 
works 2 leading Godward; and I will lead you across this 
world, the ocean of all work. I will give you Knowledge 
of the Absolute 6 , also, if you like. If there is still work after 
Samadhi, if there is still the ego and the body, be it known 
that such Karma, that ego and that body, I myself order to be 
retained for purposes of My own.* 

All this She hath revealed unto Her children, Her servants. 

So if Knowledge of the Absolute is one's end in view, one 

may attain to it ultimately if one would earnestly pray for it 

to the Almighty Mother and throw oneself 

Whatta) ^ G ° d entirel y u P OI J Her mercy. 

*-„/,/!/„ 8C f tk The devotee 7 , if thus desirous for such knowl- 

Knowtedge of the ' f 

Absolute? edge, cometh to my Mother (to any or Her 

Divine Manifestations) with the ego of Bhai\ti, 
to find in the end the whole of his ego swept away in Samadhi, 
my Mother willing. 

It is the Personal God (the Saguna Brahman), my Divine 
Mother, who hath caused this differentiation into the subject 
and the object, It is She who can and doth efface the ego in 
Samadhi and give a Knowledge of the Absolute. 

1 Karta. 2 Karma. 3 Saguna Brahman of the Vedanta. 4 Bhakti. 5 Jnana. 6 Brahma- 
jnana. 7 Bhakta. 



68 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

That it is She who doth so, we learn from Revelation. 

The philosopher who doth not rely upon Revelation so 
much as upon Reason, saith that the Personal God cannot 
give Liberation to the soul, or, what is the same thing, the 
Knowledge of the Absolute. 

It is from a lower plane (that of relativity or the phenom- 
enal world), the plane of I and thou, that the philosopher 
saith: 'It is I that can give a Knowledge of the Absolute 2 to 
myself.* In the same plane you must, from the necessity of 
your nature, admit God Personal, my Omnipotent Mother. 

It doth seem strange that while it is supposed to be quite 
within the power of the individual with his limited faculties 
to give the Knowledge of the Absolute to himself, my Omni- 
potent Mother hath not that power; that although ye can 
bring to yourself your own liberation, my Omnipotent Mother 
has not the power of giving you that Liberation! 

The philosophers forget that the same Being is both Per- 
sonal and Impersonal. They do not see that the Supreme 
Being manifesteth Itself as a Person of Infinite Power so long 
as we are persons, — Infinite Power including the power of 
giving Brahmajnana. 

But Reason alone and single-handed is such an uncertain 
guide! 

Moreover, the power of Reason or Discrimination upon 
which the philosopher relieth, also cometh from God Personal. 

Thus another thing is added to the position of the purely 
Advaitist philosopher, viz., that it is the Personal God that 
can and doth give Brahmajnana. 

It is Absolute Knowledge so long as there is complete self- 
effacement and Brahman is realized in Samadhi, and you are 
silent, postulating neither existence nor non- 
L he ?°" rt A : ,,>■ . existence regarding It. 

Mans Absolute must XT i 11 e a ? .. 1 

imply the "Relative" No sooner do you talk or Advaitam than you 
postulate a Dvaitam. For if there is One, 
there are also Two. 

Talking of Monism, you take for granted Dualism. 

Talking of the 'Absolute,' you take for granted the 'Relative.' 
For, your 'Absolute,' until realized in Samadhi, is at best the 
correlative of the 'Relative,' if not indeed a mere word put in 
certain letters of the alphabet! 

1 Mukti. 2 Brahmajnana. 



VISIT TO TANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 69 

Talking of the 'Unchangeable 1 ,' you take for granted the 
changeable or the play- wo rid. 

Talking of the 'Impersonal*,' you take for granted the 
' Personal*.' 

Just as talking of 'Light,' you postulate the existence of 
'Darkness,' its correlative. 

Just as there is 'Happiness,' there is also 'Misery,' its cor- 
relative. 

Whose changeable play-world it is, of the same Being it is 
the Unchangeable. Whose Unchangeable it is, of the same 
Being it is the changeable. 

It is through the changeable phenomenal world that you 
must feel your way up to the Unchangeable, the Uncondi- 
tioned. It is again from the latter that you must feel your 
way back to the former (now no longer unreal, but manifesta- 
tions to the senses, of the Unchangeable). 

When ye talk of the 'Absolute,' ye cannot possibly express 
as it is. Ye must throw* over it a foreign element — that of 
your own personality. 

After all, we must fall back upon Revelation. It is the Divine 
Person, my Mother, who saith, '/ am God Personal 5 , / am the 
Absolute 8 realized in Samadhi. 

Yes, you cannot think or speak of the butter without pos- 
tulating the esse of the buttermilk. 

Of the buttermilk is the butter: so of the 
M^ k utter l ? t} } G buttermilk If the buttermilk is 
the Advaita philosopher known by its relation to the butter, the butter is 
of the School of equally known by its relation to the buttermilk. 

Sankaraand j n t k e p l ane f personality — the plane of 

rarinamanada, and the i 1*1 

doctrine of Cosmical sense and even higher consciousneess— you 

Eooluthn, held by the must admit both 'butter' and 'buttermilk.' 

Sankhya School of So long as you are a person, the ego being 

KapUa: between kept on by the Divine Mother, your 'Absolute' 

Adoaitism and , • 1 m 1 .■ ♦ TT1 11 

Vhhhtadoaitiim must im P*y a Relative, your Unchangeable 

must imply a changeable play-world, your 
Substance must imply qualities, your "Impersonal' must imply 
a 'Personal' Being, your 'One' must imply 'Many.' 

When the Divine Mother wipeth out your ego (personality) 
in Samadhi, Brahman is realized and it is all silence and What- 

1 Nitya. * Lila. 8 Avyakta. * Vyakta. 5 Saguna. e Nirguna. 
* Adhyasa, superimposition, of the philosopher. 



70 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

ever is, is There. For verily the salt doll stepping down to 
measure the depth of the sea telleth no tale, when One with 
the Infinite Deep! 

Were it ever possible to lay down the position by an 
analogy, you might say that the original milk was Brahman 
realized in Samadhi, the butter was the Impersonal-Personal 
God revealing Himself, and the buttermilk the Universe made 
up of the twenty-four categories. 

My Divine Mother (the Personal Phase of Brahman) hath 
declared, 'I am the Brahman of the Vedanta (Impersonal-Per- 
sonal God). It is within My power to give 
The Fifth: The path Absolute Knowledge, which I do by causing 

oj Love as well as of ■, ^ • f i • l 1 1 1 1 1 

Philosophy kadeth to the eftacement or ■ the lower self and the 
Absolute Knowledge realization of the Higher Self in Samadhi. ' 
T , ■ ' Thus, in the first place, you may come unto 

Prlyer wd Faith Brahman through the path of philosophy 2 , my 

Mother willing. It is given to few, especially 
in this Kali yuga, to come through this road, so very difficult* 
it is to shake off the conviction, 'I am the body,' which 
clingeth to us. 

Again, you may come through prayer for Light and for 
Love; self-surrender to Him, Love of God, are the various 
elements of Bhakti. First come to my Divine Mother (the 
Personal God) through these. 

Take my word for it, that if your prayer come from the 
bottom of your heart, my Mother shall respond to it, if you 
will only Wait. For, this She hath revealed unto Her children. 

Pray to Her again, if you want to realize Her Impersonal 
Self. Should She deign to grant your prayer — for She is Om- 
nipotent—you would be in a position to realize in Samadhi 
Her Impersonal Self, also. This is precisely the same thing as 
Absolute Knowledge (Brahmajnana). 

Only, I must add that the devotee as a rule will be quite 
content with realizing the Divine Person alone — My Divine 
Mother, or any of Her Infinite Forms of glory, 
TheBhaWs Wish including the Divine Incarnations — Sri Krishna, 
Chaitanya DeVa, etc., etc. — the 'Visible Revela- 
tions of God.* As a rule, the Bha\ta doth not long for the 
realization of the Impersonal. He is anxious that the whole 

1 Aham or the ego. 2 Jnana-yoga. 

* Kleshodhikatarastesham ahyaktasaktachetasam Abyakta'hi gatirduhkham dehahadhhirala' - 
pyate: — Bhagavat-gita, chap. XII, 5. 



VISIT TO "PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 71 

of his ego should not be effaced in Samadhi. He would fain 
have sufficient individuality left to him to enjoy the Vision 
Divine as a person. He would fain taste the sugar in place 
of being one with the sugar itself. 

To such a devotee my Mother appeareth as a Person 
(the Personal God), for She is loving to Her devotees — Her 
children. 

He, who has thoroughly realized the Deity, must insist upon 
Realization as about the only great fact in spiritual matters. 

It won't do to say from the beginning of the 
Rl%ifon° n: chapter 'I see God— Impersonal-Personal — 

S^ofGod-Vision manifest in and through all things. Why, 
everything that I see, man, woman, beast, 
bird, tree or flower, is God! Oh, I am full of joy and bliss! 
I am past all happiness and misery! Soham (I am He), Soham 
(I am He), and so forth.' 

What, as a rule, is absolutely necessary is the preliminary dis- 
cipline . Without it, one cannot have Bhaltfi (love of God). 
Without this discipline, it is indeed a far cry from Absolute 
Knowledge. 

For the precious treasures are safe in the room under lock 
and key. You have not unlocked those treasures. Surely it 
doth not lie in your mouth to say, 'I have opened the lock 
and have got into the room. Behold, I have laid my hands 
on those longed-for treasures, those shining gems, diamonds, 
jewels! Look here, I have possessed them all!' 

The Blessed One that hath beheld the Vision Divine, 
becometh like a child, simple, open (Sarala), turning his eye 
upon the fresh world as it is, stripped of its artificial names 
and formulas. Often he is intoxicated with the wine of Divine 
Love, at the sight of the Revelation before him. He is one 
with the Living Fountain of Holiness. With him, therefore, as 
a rule, there hath ceased all distinction between shuchi (purity) 
and ashuchi (impurity). 

Lastly, sense-consciousness leaves him from time to time 
and in Samadhi he looketh like a Jada (an insentient, motion- 
less, inanimate thing. 

Until Realization, one must be pure, one must renounce 
the world — Kamini and Kanchan — carnality and the worship 
of mammon. 

1 Sadhana. 



72 GOSPEL OF SRI HAMAKRISHNA 

CHAPTER IV. 
SRI RAMAKRISHNA AND BHAKTI YOGA 

It is so difficult to get rid of this sense of T which puts a 

barrier in the way of Brahmajnana! Even after Absolute 

Knowledge the released soul is forced, as I 

The necessity of k ave sa ^ k y some U nseen Power, my Divine 

The Wa^tosoloe thz Mother, to come down to the plane of sense- 
Probkm of Life consciousness, and hath this sense of 'I,* 

though in a thin form, attached to him. 
Thou dreamest of a tiger. Thou tremblest in every limb. 
Thy heart throbbeth violently. Thou wakest up to find that 
is was a mere dream. But all the same, in thy waking state, 
thy heart goeth on throbbing. 

That being the case, i. e., the sense of T refusing to leave 
thee, what should be done? Why, let it have one sole limit- 
ing adjunct 1 . Let it stay as the 'Servant of 
P ^ a r' ( /t"r the Lord/ 

self or the self as it O 4. 4 1 » J « TV/f • • £ 1J1 

should be) £>ut I and Mine or worldly men is ignorance 

leading away from God. 
Everything is ordered by the Lord. It is ridiculous for man 
to say, 'I am the Lord of the creation,' 'I am the master/ 'All 
these things are mine/ 

On two occasions the Lord cannot help smiling: — 

A person is taken seriously ill and is shortly going to die. 
The doctor steppeth in and saith to the mother, 'Why, Ma, 
there is no cause for anxiety at all. / take it upon myself to 
save thy son's life/ 

The doctor seeth not that it is the Lord who is bringing 
about the death of her son! 

The Lord smileth and saith, 'It is I that am causing the 
death of this man, and the fool of a physician saith that he is 
going to save his life/ 

Again, when two brothers are busy making a partition of 
their landed properties, they take a measuring tape, draw it 
out across the land and say, 'This side is mine, that side is 
yours/ The Lord smileth and saith, 'These fools! they call 
the land their own! They do not see that every bit of the 
ground belongeth to Me.' 

A rich man hath a garden, which he hath placed in charge 
of his steward. When visitors look in, the steward is all 

1 Upadhi. 



VISIT TO "PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 73 

attention to them. He taketh them through the different parts 

of the garden and the house attached to it, saying, 'These are, 

■ gentlemen, our mango trees. These others are 

Parable of the Rich ?• 7 • 7 • / 1 \ II 

Man and his Steward our hchi, golap, jam (rose-berries), etc. Here, 
you see, is our drawing-room. Over there are 
our oil-paintings and other pictures so splendid, etc., etc. 

Now suppose the steward hath done something to merit 
the displeasure of his master. Dost thou know how he is 
dealt with? Why, he is ordered peremptorily to leave the 
garden at once. Not even sufficient time is allowed him to 
bring away his wooden chest! 

And it was, bear in mind, the very same man who was so 
warmly talking away of 'Our this* and 'Our that!' 

The 'mine' (or 'our') of the steward cometh of ajnana 
(ignorance leading away from God). 

Reason is weak. Faith is omnipotent. Reason cannot go 
far enough and must stop at some point. 

Faith will work wonders. 

Yes, Faith shall enable man to cross the mighty ocean 
itself, without any the least difficulty. 

Ramachandra, God Incarnate, worked hard to 
ofFaitb™* throw a bridge over the part of the sea separ- 

ating Ceylon from the mainland of India. But 
as if to prove to the world the majesty, the omnipotence of 
Faith, He gave it to His devotee, the great Hanuman, to cross 
the ocean by the unaided power of Faith! 

Once a Bha\ta, a friend of Vibhishana, King of Ceylon, 
wanted to go across the sea. Vibhishana, to whom he appealed 
for help, had the name of Rama (God) written on a leaf with- 
out the knowledge of his friend. He then said to the Bhakta, 
his friend, 'Take this and take care thou hast it tied to the 
end of thy cloth. This will enable thee to walk across the 
ocean in safety. But, mind, never try to look into the leaf. 
For, thou shalt go under, the moment thou openest it.' 

The devotee put faith in his friend's words. He walked 
the ocean for some time in perfect safety. But, unfortunately, 
he took it into his head to try and see what precious thing 
was tied to the end of his cloth, which could take him unhurt 
through the mighty deep. He opened the leaf and down he 
went into deep water! 

Yes, Faith is omnipotent. Before it, the powers of Nature 
all shrink and give way! You get over seas and mountains 



74 GOSPEL OF SRI <%AMAKRISHNA 

with perfect ease and the utmost indifference. What is more, 
sin and iniquity, worldliness and ignorance, all go out of sight 
before Faith. 

And the Master sang: — 

SONG 

The Name of God 

1. O, My Divine Mother, let me but die with Durga, Durga, Thy 
(hallowed.) name, on my lips : 

Then shall it be seen, O Giver 1 of all Good, whether or not in the 
end Thou wilt take Thy poor child over to the other side of the sea 
(of the world). 

2. I might be the slayer of a eow or a Brahman 1 I might have 
made away with an unborn child yet in the mother's womb ! I might 
be a drunkard ! Nay, more, I might have put a woman to death ! 

But 1 care not the least for these terrible sins. With all these I 
have power enough to raise myself to the exalted position of the 
Creator 2 of the world. 

Yes, Faith is at the root of all spiritual progress. Thou 
canst do without all other things; Only Thou must have Faith. 

Have but Faith in the Lord, and Thou shalt become at once 
free from the vilest, the blackest, of all sins. 

SONG 

Faith at the Root 

1 . Various thoughts rise in my mind when I think of my Divine 
Mother. 

One's reward is just as much as the strength of one's love for God. 
At the root of all there must always be absolute Faith. 

2. The Holy Feet of my Divine Mother, the Consort of the God 
of Eternity, form the Lake of Nectar. If the mind be in that Lake of 
Immortality — if it goeth on taking its dip into that lake — -then nothing 
more is needed — you may do without the rest — be it worship 3 with 
flowers and incense, be it the pouring of oblations 4 into the sacrificial 
fire, the silent recitations 5 of the name of God, or the sacrifice 6 of 
animals, etc. 

3. The devotee of my Divine Mother, the Goddess of the Uni- 
verse, has in his very lifetime a soul released from the bondage of 
the world. O, he is made purely of joy everlasting. 

Yes, the one thing needful is Faith and Bhakti (love, devo- 
tion, prayerfulness and self-surrender). 

It is exceedingly difficult, especially in this Kali age, to come 
to my Mother through Vichara, the discrimination of the Real 

1 Sankari. 2 'Brahma. 3 Puja. 4 -Hom. 5 Japa. 6 Bali. 7 -Brahmaaa. 



VISIT TO VANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 75 

from the unreal phenomenal universe by the limited faculties 
of man, unaided by the Divine Person, i. e., unaided by 
Revelation. 

Verily has Ramaprasad, the 'Sweet Psalmist' of Bengal, laid 
stress upon this difficulty in his well-known song, "O my 
mind, etc. — 

And the Master sang: 

SONG 

Identity of the Personal God and the Impersonal God 
Difficulty of Jnana yoga 

1 . " O, my Mind ! what line art thou taking to realize that Being ? 
Thou art groping about like a mad man in a dark room ! 

2. Do thou try thy best to bring under thy control the Moon, who 
is a door-keeper at the gate of the House (the Microcosm). In the 
House are various apartments and amongst them a Thief-chamber 
where the (Divine) Treasure is kept hidden : 

Once the Moon is under thy control, thou mayest, secretly like a 
thief, work thy way to the Treasure in the Thief-chamber and make 
It thy own. 

But when the Moon is beyond thy control and it is daybreak, the 
Treasure in the Thief-chamber shall hide itself from thee. 

3. With a view to that Love, the great yogi practiseth, one decade 
after another, meditation for re-union with the Universal Soul. 

Once this Love springeth up in his (the yogi's) heart, he draweth 
the Supreme Being near unto him, much as the loadstone draweth 
the iron. 

4. Go into the six schools of philosophy. There that Being thou 
shalt not find ! Nor in the Tantras or the Vedas ! That Being is fond 
of the sweet syrup of Bhal^ti. A Being of Joy Everlasting, She 
resideth in all Her Majesty in this city (/. e., the Microcosm). 

5. Saith Prasad: 'The Being whom I call my Mother and try 
thus to realize, shall I give out Her real name* ? * 

Would not that be breaking my (sacred) cooking-pot in the court- 
yard of the house (or in the market-place) before the eyes of the 
unfeeling multitude ? Guess, O my Mind, who that Being is, by the 
hints I have thrown out with my off-eye.' 

There is deep silence at the end of this song, which was 
listened to with rapt attention. Every one is moved. The 
Master remained for a long while with his mind fixed upon 
the Hallowed Feet of the Divine Mother, the Great Burden of 
this soul-stirring psalm. 



* Brahman of the Vedanta both Saguna and Nirguna, Personal-Impersonal. 



76 GOSPEL OF SRI TIAMAKRISHNA 

CHAPTER V. 

A friend asketh Vidyasagar the meaning of chatar. 

Vidyasagar (smiling): — Chatar, i. e., chattara or uthan, — the 
quadrangle of a house; or the market-place. 

Master (to Vidyasagar): — Exactly, Oh! thou must know, 
pandit (scholar) as thou art. (Laughter.) 

Well, what is thy idea of the Deity? 

Vidyasagar (looking round on the company present): — 
Excuse me, Sir, I am afraid I must look for another occasion 
to talk with Thee by myself. (Laughter.) 

Master: — Oh, thou must know it all. Only, I suppose, thou 
dost not care. The Lord 1 of the Ocean is the Master of 
untold treasures, — gold, diamond and jewels. But it is hardly 
to be expected that the presiding God of the Sea should take 
a note of each of the valuable things that could be found in 
his vast domain — the Great Sea. (Laughter.) 

Again, very often, thou wilt find a great Babu, the owner of 
vast wealth, quite ignorant of even the names of his servants! 
(Laughter.) 

The Babu is too big to be on terms of familiarity with such 
commonplace people! (Laughter.) 



Master (to Vidyasagar): — Wilt thou not once come into the 
garden? It is a charming place, so grand, so beautiful. 

Vidyasagar: — Certainly. Thou hast been so kind as to come. 
Is it not my duty, too, to pay thee a visit? 

Master (smiling): — Visit to me! Oh! for shame, for shame! 

Vidyasagar: — My dear Sir, this from thee! I have a right to 
ask for an explanation. 

Master: — Well, my good Sir, I tell thee what. We are but 
fishing boats, small and light enough to row about to all sorts 
of places. (Laughter.) Thou art a big merchant-man! Who 
knoweth thou mayst not run against a sand-bank if thou 
venturest too far up stream? (Laughter.) But the time — the 
present occasion — doth make some difference. Doth it not? 
(Laughter.) 

Vidyasagar (smiling): — Oh, I see; the rains have recently 
set in. (Laughter.) 

1 Varuna. 



VISIT TO "PANDIT ISHWARA CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR 77 

THE PARTING 

It is about 8 P. M. The carriage is ready to take the Master 
back home to the Thakurbadi at Dakshineshwara. The Mas- 
ter becometh absent in mind for a while. He is evidently 
meditating upon the Divine Mother. Is he also asking for 
Her blessing upon his good host? 

It is the dark fortnight of the month of Sravana. The Master 
rising to depart, Vidyasagar, with a lighted candle in his 
hand, leadeth the way downstairs, on through the compound 
of his house to the gate. Near it is the carriage from the 
Thakurbadi, waiting to receive the Master and his companions. 

An unexpected sight greets the eyes of the party as they 
come up before the gate. It is a man who may be a little 
under forty, standing before the gate with folded hands. He 
is dressed in white and has a white Sikh turban on the head. 
He wears a smiling face, has a fair complexion and expressive 
eyes. No sooner doth he see the Master, than he falleth at 
his feet, with the head mounted with the big turban touching 
the ground. 

Saith the Master: — Is it you, Balaram? How is it that I find 
thee here? 

Balaram replies smiling: — Oh, Sir, I have been waiting for 
some time here at the gate to see thee. 

Master: — Well, why didst thou not come in? 

Balaram (smiling): — I came up late; so I wouldn't interrupt 
thee; and thought it is as well to stay here. 



The Master then steppeth into the carriage with his com- 
panions. 

Vidyasagar (to M.): — Shall I see the gharry hire paid? 

M. : — No, Sir, thou needst not trouble thyself. It has already 
been paid by a friend. 

The Pandit then folds his hands, and bends his head and 
body to make his pranama (salutations) to the Master. 

All those assembled about the carriage do the same. The 
coachman lets go the horses. Away rattles the carriage in a 
northerly direction. 

The little crowd at the gate, with the venerable Vidyasagar 
at their head still holding the lighted candle in his hand, 
standeth for a while looking on in the same direction, won- 



78 GQSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

dering who this God-intoxicated man may be, so wise, yet so 
childlike, so full of joy, so sweet, so godly! 

Verily a Lightning sent down to set ablaze into Life the dry 
dead bones of a workaday world! Embodied Love like the 
dew of Heaven falling on the dry thirsty heart of man! A 
voice crying into sunken, self-weary man, Thou must be horn 
again and love! A Healer, from another Clime, of this 'strange 
disease of modern life!' A Man among men eager to solve 
for them the enigma of the universe! 



SECTION III. 

October 1882 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT THE TEMPLE OF DAKSHINESHWARA 

WITH NARENDRA (VIVEKANANDA), RAKHAL, M., 

AND OTHER DISCIPLES 

CHAPTER I. 
STORY OF THE MASTER'S LIFE AS TOLD BY HIMSELF 

Sri Ramakrishna is filled with joy to-day, for Narendra has 
come to the Temple to see him. Narendra has bathed here 
and has taken his morning meal 1 out of the offerings accepted 
by the Gods. 

It is Monday, the 16th of October, 1882; the fourth lunar 
day of the light fortnight of Ashvin. The Durga Pujah will 
be celebrated on Thursday next. 

Rakhal has been staying with the Master for some time. 
Ramlal and Hazra are also here. Two Brahma boys are with 
Narendra. M. is also here. 

After the morning meal, which was taken between eleven 
and twelve o'clock, Sri Ramakrishna asked Narendra and the 
other disciples, specially Narendra, to rest a while. A bed 
was prepared for the purpose on the floor of the room. A 
quilt with a mat underneath and a white sheet spread out 
over it and some pillows and bolsters made up the simple bed. 
The Master squatted on the bed by the side of Narendra and 
talked with him and the other disciples like a child. His eyes 
were fixed on Narendra and his face was radiant with smiles. 
He will place some ideals of life and character before the dis- 
ciples — specially before Narendra and teach them How to live. 

Master (to Narendra and others): — When this change 
(caused by God- Vision) came over me, I longed to hear the 
Word of God. I always looked about for places where the 
Sacred Books 2 were being read or recited — the books speci- 
ally containing an account of the life and teachings of the 
various Incarnations of God — Sri Krishna, Rama 3 , etc. I used 
to go to Krishnakishore to hear him read the Life of Rama 3 . 

What a stupendous faith had Krishnakishore! Once he had 
been to Brindaban on pilgrimage. There in the course of his 

1 Prasad. 2 Bhagavata, Mahabharata, etc. 3 Adhyatrra Ramayana. 



80 GOSPEL OF SRI <RA MA KRISHNA 

walk one day, he chanced to feel thirsty. Seeing a person 
standing near a well, he asked him to draw a little water for 
„ _ v , 7 him. The man said that he came of a very 

Krishnakishore and i .1.1 r. ±. 

hisFaith low caste so that he was not a ht person to 

draw the water for a Brahman. Krishnakishore 
said, "Wilt thou pronounce the name of God 1 and thus make 
thyself pure?" The man did so and then drew up the water 
for him; and he, a Brahman, drank of the water! How great 
was the power of his Faith! 

A holy man once came to the river side and abode for 
some time at the Ariada ghat. We thought of paying him a 
visit. I said to Haladhari at the Temple one day, 'Krishna- 
kishore and myself are going to see the holy man; art thou 
going too?' Haladhari replied, 'What is the use of one's 
going to see a being with a material body which is no better 
than a cage made of clay!' 

Now Haladhari was a Pandit and used always to read the 
'Song of the Lord 2 ,' and the Vedanta Philosophy, which saith, 
'God is real and everything else is unreal.' All these words 
were reported by me to Krishnakishore. He got highly 
offended and said, 'What! And all this hath been said by 
Haladhari! Is it possible that he looketh upon the body of a 
holy man as a cage made of clay — a holy man whose only 
thought is God and who hath given up the world and its 
pleasures and excitements for the sake of the Lord? Doth he 
not know that the body of one who loveth the Lord is made 
up of the Spirit — not of matter, as in the case of ordinary 
men?' When he came next time to the Temple in the morn- 
ing to gather flowers for Divine worship, he turned away his 
face to avoid Haladhari, so much had he been offended at 
his words. 

Once he asked me, 'Why hast thou cast off the holy thread?" 
When this change came over me for the first time everything 
was blown away as if by the great cyclone of 
? a D 0/ l ■ l Ashvin. The old landmarks were swept away. 

after God-vision 1 here was no outward consciousness ; who 

was to take care of either the holy thread or 
even the piece of cloth I used to put on? 

Lost in intense God-consciousness, I was nude the greater 
part of the day. When, therefore, Krishnakishore took me to 
tack for having parted with the holy thread, I only observed, 

x Siva. 2 Gita. 3 Cyclone of 1864. 



SRI 'RAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA AND OTHERS 81 

'Thou shalt see it all clearly if thou art once seized with mad- 
ness for the Lord!' 

It came about as I had feared. He, too, turned out 'mad' 
for the Lord. He used to shut himself up in a room in which 
he sat still and only repeated, 'Om! Om!' — the Vedic symbol 
for God the Absolute. 

His people thought that he had actually gone mad. They 

called in a physician 1 . Dr. Rama of Natagore came to see him. 

Krishnakishore said to the physician, 'Let me, good Sir, be 

healed of my disease — and not of the Om which by the grace 

of the Lord I have learnt to value in these 

The Tme Sdf days.' (Laughter.) 

Looking in on another occasion I found him 
musing. I asked what the matter was. He replied, 'The tax- 
collector was here. He held out the threat that he would 
dispose of my brass bowls and water-pots in case I failed to 
meet his demands! This has made me so anxious.' Upon 
this I smiled and said, 'Never mind, let him do his worst and 
sell off thy goods and chattels. Let him bind thy body and 
take it to the judge if need be; what mattereth it to thee? 
Surely, thou art not the body; so he won't be able to bind thee 
— thy True Self; for art thou not Khauf, my dear Sir, as thou 
often sayest?' (Narendra and others laugh.) 

Yes, he used to say that his True Self (that is, God the 
Absolute) was like the formless space round about us. O, he 
was an ardent reader of the Ramayanarn in 
Like Formless Space which Rama is always addressed as an Incar- 
nation of God, the Absolute. I often amused 
myself, saying, 'Thou art Khau); thy True Self is not the body, 
but the Universal Soul. On that day I assured him, saying, 
'No tax shall be able to draw thee away. Let them seize thy 
gross body which thou art not — according to thy own show- 
ing.' (Laughter.) 

In my state of madness for the Lord I used always to speak 
my own mind as to men and things. I regarded not the posi- 
-. _, tion of men. I was not in the least afraid of 

A'o Resbector • l 1 r 

of Persons ncn P eo P^ e or men or position. 

One day Jatindra Tagore came into the ad- 
joining garden belonging to Jadu Mallik. I asked Jatindra 
'What is the whole duty of man?' I asked again, 'Is it not 
our first duty to fix our mind on God?' Jatindra said, 'We 

1 Kaviraj. 2 Akasha. 3 Adhyatma. 



82 GOSPEL OF SRI TlAMAKRISHNA 

are men of the world. Is liberation ever within the reach of 
worldly men? Witness Rajah Yudhishtira, who, pure as he 
was, had to bear the sight of the infernal regions for having 
once spoken what was not the truth.' This gave great offence 
to me. And I cried out, saying sharply, 'What a curious man 
thou art! Thou rememberest well the fact that Yudhishtira 
had to bear the sight of those regions! But, pray, what thinkest 
thou of his love of Truth, his love of God, his forgiving tem- 
per, his perception of the Real, his non-attachment to things 
of the world?' I was going to run on like this when Hridey 
stopped my mouth. Jatindra soon after left, saying that he 
had some pressing business to attend to. 

On another occasion I went in company with the Captain 
to Sourindra Tagore's house. Upon first meeting him 1 said, 
'Look here, Sir, I shall be unable to call thee 'Rajah' or such- 
like thing, for that would be speaking what was not true.' 
(Rajah in Sangskrita means the ruler of a kingdom.) He 
conversed with me for some time, during which we were 
frequently interrupted by visitors, amongst whom were some 
Europeans. I noticed that he was like other worldly people 
troubled with many things. He sent word to Jatindra Tagore 
(his eldest brother), informing him of our visit. A message 
came from Jatindra, which said that he had a trouble in the 
throat and could not come. 

One day I observed an elderly Brahman repeating the Name 
of the Lord at the Barahanagar ghat on the bank of the holy 
river Ganges. I observed that he was thinking of something 
else and gave him two slaps on the back of his body to draw 
his attention back to the Lord! (Laughter.) 

Once Rashmani (the foundress of the Temple here) came 
to visit the Temple. She came inside the temple of the 
Mother when I was worshipping as priest. She asked me to 
chant the Holy Name. I sang, but observed that she was 
thinking of something else and sorting the flowers for worship. 
I gave her a couple of slaps. This made her sit quiet with 
hands folded in adoration. {Laughter.) 

I repeated my sad story to my cousin 2 , saying, 'How queer 
and offensive are my ways getting to be! Is there no help?' 
Well, I prayed unto my Divine Mother with a yearning heart 
and at last I was able through Her Grace to shake off this 
habit. 

1 Bishwanath of Nepal. 2 Haladhari. 



SRI <RAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA AND OTHERS 83 

In my then state of the soul words not relating to God did 

jar upon my ears. I used to sit by myself and cry whenever 

I heard people talking on worldly matters. 

SnRamakrishna Q Mathur Babu took me with him up- 

at Benares: 1 he , f *1 • YW1 *1 

Value of Pilgrimage country to various places ot pilgrimage. While 
at Benares we put up a few days at the house 
of Rajah Babu. One day I was in the drawing-room with 
Mathur Babu who was conversing with Rajah Babu and his 
people. They were talking purely of worldly matters: 'So 
much money has been lost or gained by the transaction,' and 
words like these. I cried bitterly by myself, saying to the 
Divine Mother, 'Where hast Thou brought me, O Mother? 
Verily, I was far better off at the Temple at Dakshineshwara 
than in this place of pilgrimage! They have come indeed to 
visit the holy shrines, but behold, O Mother, they talk only of 
Lust and Gold! The Temple was a far better place for me, 
because there I had not to hear such talk.' 

The Master presseth Narendra to take a little rest. And he 
himself goeth up to the smaller bedstead to rest a while. 

CHAPTER II. 

WITH NARENDRA AND OTHER DISCIPLES CHANTING FORTH 
THE NAME OF THE LORD 

It is afternoon, and Narendra is singing the sacred hymns. 
Amongst those present are Rakhal, Latu, M., Preo, a Brahma 
friend of Narendra's and Hazra. 

Narendra sang to the accompaniment of the drum 1 : — 

SONG 

O ray mind, meditate thou upon the Lord, the essence of Spirit, 
etc. 

Vide song, page 41 
SONG 

In the Temple of the Heart shineth the Blessed Vision of the Lord 
who is the One Reality, who seeketh the good of all His creatures, 
and whose form is so beautiful. Let us behold this beauty over and 
over again and be thus immersed in that Sea of Beauty. 

1 . O Lord come into my heart as Infinite Wisdom Divine I Speech- 
less, but with a mind that knoweth not peace, shall I then throw 
myself at Thy Hallowed Feet! 

3. O arise in the firmament of my Soul as the Embodiment of 
Immortal Bliss, so that at the blessed Vision we shall rejoice, drunken 

1 Khole. 



84 QOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

with the joy of the Lord, much as the bird chakpra rejoiceth and 
sporteth about in the sky drunken with joy at the sight of the moon! 



SONG 

Be filled with joy and gladness and repeat the sweet Name of 
the Lord ! 

At His Name shall arise a flood out of the Sea of Nectar ; of this 
ye may drink without cessation — yes, drink and give away just as 
you please. 

The Thunder of His Name shall snap the fetters of sin by which 
you are bound. 

Come let us be intoxicated with the joy of the Lord and thus have 
our heart's desires fulfilled. 

Narendra and the other disciples sing and dance round 
about the Master to the accompaniment of the drum. They 
sing in a chorus: — 

'Be immersed for ever, O my mind, in the sweet nectar of Divine 
Love.' 

And again: — 

1 In the Temple of my Heart shineth the glorious beauty of the 
Lord who is the Only Reality — the Being who seeketh the good of 
all His creatures, the Embodiment of all that is beautiful.' 

At last, Narendra, with the drum hanging from his neck, 
singeth: — 

' Speak the sweet name of the Lord by thy mouth filled with joy.' 

At the end of the song the Master embraceth Narendra 
saying, 'Peace be unto thee, my boy, and the joy of the Lord! 
How shall I speak of the joy unspeakable that thou hast given 
me to-day!' 

The fountain of Divine Love within the heart of the Master 
welleth up to-day and overfloweth. 

It is close upon 8 P. M. He paceth up and down the 
northern verandah alone, drunken with the joy of the Lord! 

He paceth from one end of the verandah to the other with 
quick and excited steps; — He holdeth converse with the 
Divine Mother. 

Like one who hath gone mad he crieth out, 'What (evil) 
canst thou do unto me?' 



SRI TIAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA AND OTHERS 85 

Doth the Master say that the powers 1 of evil cnnnot do any 
harm to him who hath the Divine Mother to protect him? 

They are going to stay to-night. Narendra will stay; hence 
of his joy there is no end. 

The supper is ready. Mother at the concert-house 2 has 
made everything ready for the supper — the thin cakes of 
bread, dal, etc. Surendra bears the greater part of the ex- 
penses. The disciples stay here off and on. 

The supper is ready to be served on the south-eastern 
verandah into which the Master's chamber opens. 

The supper is being served. Narendra and other disciples 
stand before the door of the chamber and talk. 

Narendra (to M.): — How do you like, Sir, our boys and 
young men of the present day? 

M. : — Well, they are not bad; but they stand 

Narendra on School • 1 f 1 • • 

„„jr„//„ n- •„/•„ * n need or religious instruction. 

and College Discipline or II 1 

Narendra: — do rar as 1 have seen they are 
going from bad to worse. Bird's-eye, the company of young 
men, foppishness and playing the truant, these are things that 
may be seen almost every day. 

M. : — In our day when we were students, I never came 
across such things! 

Narendra: — I suppose you never mixed with such boys. 
I myself have seen persons of questionable character talking 
with boys, whom I know, on terms of familiarity. The won- 
der is how and when they could know one another. 

M. : — Is it indeed so? 

Narendra: — O, I know it myself how some of my friends 
have in this way lost their character. School and college 
authorities and the guardians of boys ought to have an eye 
on these matters. 

They were talking on when the Master stepped out of the 
chamber and, smiling, asked, 'Well, what were you talking 
about?' Narendra said, smiling, 'We have been 
One Thing is Needful talking on matters connected with schools 
and colleges. The character of boys is not 
all that could be desired.' Upon this the Master turning to 
M. looked grave and said — 'Talking on these matters is not 
good; talk of the Lord and nothing else! Thou art older 
than these boys. Thou oughtest to have known better. It was 

1 Maya. 2 Nahabat. 



86 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

thy duty to put them on their guard and to warn them not to 
talk on anything but the Lord.' 

M. feels a little abashed. Narendra and other disciples 
hold their peace for a time. 

Narendra is about 19 or 20 years old; while M. is about 
27 or 28. 

They sit down to eat the supper. The Master is happy; 
he smileth as he seeth Narendra and other disciples going on 
with their repast. 

The Master rejoiceth very much to-day. After supper the 

disciples have come together inside the chamber and are 

resting on the mat spread on the floor. They 

Name* of the Lord ta ^ w i tn me Master and rejoice. It seemeth 

as if a fair is being held here; — where the 

Joy of the Lord may be had for sale. 

Saith the Master to Narendra: — Wilt thou sing forth the 
hymn beginning with — 'The full moon of Divine Love riseth 
on the firmament of Divine Wisdom?' 

Narendra went on singing to the accompaniment of the 
drum 1 . 

SONG 

1 . The full moon of Divine Love riseth on the firmament of 
Divine Wisdom. 

The Ocean of Love overfloweth ; O, how full of joy is the Lord ! 

Victory unto Thee, Merciful Lord ! Victory ! Victory ! 

2. Behold the gate of Heaven is flung open and the vernal breeze 
of the New Dispensation beginneth to blow. 

It breaketh into waves of joy: it carrieth the fragrance of Divine 
Love, which maketh the Yogis drunken with the joy of communion. 

Victory unto Thee, Merciful Mother! Victory! Victory! 

3. On the sea of this Universe is the Lotus of the New Dispensation. 
Thereupon is seated in Her Majesty the Divine Mother, 

The Embodiment of all Joy ! 

See, the Bees (the devotees) drink of the nectar therein! 

They are filled with God-consciousness. Ah, behold the gracious 
countenance of the Mother! 

It delighteth the heart: it doth fascinate the Universe! 

Falling at Her Feet are companies of holy men, singing and danc- 
ing, drunken with joy. 

What Beauty unparalleled ! O ! the Blessed Vision bringeth peace 
unto the heart! 

i Khole. 



SRI <RAMAKRISHNA WITH V1VEKANANDA AND OTHERS 87 

Prem Dass (the psalmist) faileth at the feet of every one and saith, 
'Sing forth, O, my brethren I 

Victory unto the Mother! Victory! Victory! 

The Master singeth and danceth. With him in their midst 
the disciples sing and dance. 

The song is over. The Master walketh up and down the 
north-eastern verandah that leadeth into his chamber. 

Here is Hazra seated. He repeateth the Name of the Lord 
as he telleth the beads of his rosary. The Master taketh his 
seat by his side and holdeth converse with Hazra and M. 

He saith to a disciple: — Dost thou see visions of God in 
dreams during sleep? 

Disciple: — Yes, Sir, the other day I had a most 
God-vishn in Dreams interesting dream. It seemed as if the whole 
Universe were a vast expanse of water. Water, 
water everywhere before me and nothing but water! Water 
without beginning or end! Suddenly there arose a flood. 
Some of the boats that were visible at a distance went down 
under the water. A few only escaped. Amongst them was 
one belonging to my mother. Well, I was on board a ship 
which carried a chosen number of passengers. What was our 
astonishment to see a Brahman walking over the deep uncon- 
cerned — as if he were taking steps on firm ground. I cried 
out, 'How is it that thou walkest over the Deep?' The Brah- 
man replied smiling, 'Here is nothing to be afraid of; my feet 
rest upon a bridge which is under water.' I asked, 'Whither 
art thou going, Lord?' He replied, 'I am going to the City of 
the Mother 1 .' I felt eager to join the holy man and cried out, 
'Do tarry a little, Lord, and I shall join thee; for that is pre- 
cisely the place whither I, too, long to go.' He only smiled 
and said, 'O, I am in a hurry to reach that place 2 . It will take 
thee some time to come down. Mark the path which will 
lead thee safe to the City, and then come and follow me.' 

Master: — A thrill passeth through my body as I hear the 
dream thus related by thee — the hairs of my body stand on 
their ends! The hour is come when thou shouldst be initiated. 

1 KHole. 2 Bhavanipore. 



GOSPEL OF SRI ftAMAKRISHNA 



CHAPTER HI. 

WHICH TO SEEK FIRST? — THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 
OR SOCIAL REFORMS ? 

It is 1 1 P. M. Narendra and other disciples go to sleep. They 
lie down on a bed spread on the floor of the Master's chamber. 

It is daybreak. Some of the disciples are already up. They 
are seated on the bed meditating on the Lord. What is the 
_ _ . . Master doing all the time? He repeated the 

Sri Ramakrisnna >T £ j1 T 1 • ■ -._ «_ 

chanting hi s Matin S Names of the Lord in a voice sweet as nectar. 
He goeth about within the chamber perfectly 
nude like a five-year-old child. He steppeth to the various 
pictures hung on the walls and saluteth, touching the wall 
with the forehead. He openeth the door and looketh on the 
holy river with reverential feeling. He chanteth the Holy 
Name of the Lord and saith, 'O, my Divine Mother, Thou 
manifesteth Thyself in everything 1 . Thou art the same as Thy 
Word which hath taken the form of the Sacred Scriptures — 
the Vedas, the Puranas and the Tantras — the Bhagavad Gita 
and the Gayatri. And, Mother, Thy devotees are only mani- 
festations of Thee! Thou art the same as God the Absolute 
beyond time and space; on the other hand, Thou art the 
Divine Energy manifesting Thyself in this Universe. Thou art 
the Being Inactive 3 . Thou art, again, the Principle of Activity . 
Thou art the Formless Being and Thou art with Form. Thou 
art the Universe 5 before us. Thou art the Twenty-four Cate- 
gories of the philosopher! 

It is daybreak and the priests are waving the lights before the 
Holy Images. The sweet and holy sounds of the conch-shell, 
of the bell, and of the cymbals come vibrating from the temples. 

The disciples arise and see that the priests and servants are 
already gathering flowers to be presented as offerings to God. 
The. concert 6 plays pieces of music proper for the morning 
hour. 

Narendra and other disciples have washed themselves. 

They now come up smiling before the Master. He standeth 

, , on the north-eastern verandah close to his 

Narendra and the I i iff 1 .1 '.1 •! 

One Thing Needful own chamber. His race beameth with smiles. 
Narendra: — We noticed several Sannyasins — 
followers of Nanak — seated at the 'Cluster 7 of five trees.* 

1 Bhagavata — Bhakta — Bhagavan. 2 Brahman. 3 Purusha. 4 Prakriti. 5 Virat. 
6 Nahabat. 7 Panchabati. 



SRI <RAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA AND OTHERS 89 

Master: — I know; they arrived here only yesterday. 

(To Narendra): — I should like to see you all seated together. 

The disciples have seated themselves on a mat. The Master 
looketh on them with delight and converseth with them. 

Narendra raises the question, 'What are the means of attain- 
ing God?' 

Master: — The one thing needful is love or devotion to 
God. As to renunciation 2 and discrimination 3 (between the 
Real and the unreal), these will come of themselves if one 
loveth the Lord. 

Narendra: — Sir, in the Sacred Books it is stated that one 
may practise communion in the company of women. Is that 

not so? 
Woman as Mother ? Master: — To practise in the company of 
women! Why, that is not good. There is, 
indeed, such a path spoken of in the Sacred Books 4 , but walk- 
ing along such a path it is exceedingly difficult to reach the 
Goal. The risk of a fall is almost sure. 

As a point of discipline, woman may be regarded first, as 
mistress (the aspirant regarding himself as lover); second, as 
lady-mistress (the aspirant regarding himself as her hand- 
maiden); third, as mother. I, for my part, regard women as 
my mother. The part of a hand-maiden or maid-servant is not 
open to objection. That of a lover almost invariably bringeth 
on a downfall. That of a child is the purest and best of all. 

The Sannyasins who were the followers of Guru Nanak 

have now come to pay their respects to the Master. They 

salute him saying, 'Thou art the Lord 8 of the 

Is anything impossible t T • . l • l f ■ O 1 l ..■ 

with God? Universe taking a human rorm! Salutation 

unto Thee!' The Master returned their greet- 
ings and asked them to be seated. 

He saith to the disciples and the holy men": — 'Nothing is 
impossible with God. The nature of the Lord no one can 
say. Everything can be predicated of Him.' 

Once there lived two holy men; they practised austerities 
with a view to see God. One day, Narada, the holy sage, was 
going his way by their hermitages. One of them said to 
Narada, 'Art thou coming down from Heaven? If so, tell me 
what the Lord of Heaven is doing.* Upon this, Narada replied, 
'Yes that is so, I am coming down from Heaven: I saw the 
Lord of Heaven causing camels and elephants to enter into 

1 Bhakti. 2 Vairagya. 3 Viveka. 4 The Tantras. 5 Namo Narayan. 6 Yogis. 



90 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

the eye of a needle and saw the animals passing in and out.' 
One of the holy men observed, 'There is nothing here to 
marvel at. Nothing is impossible with God. ' The other man said, 
'O, that is impossible! It only showeth that thou hast never 
been to the Lord's place.' 

The first man had the faith of a babe and he was a true 
believer. For nothing is impossible with God who hath 
created this wonderful Universe! 

It is about nine in the morning. The Master is seated in his 
chamber. Manomohan, a disciple, is come from Konnagar 
with his family. He saluteth the Master saying, 'I am taking 
my family down to Calcutta. The Master maketh kind en- 
quiries and saith, 'This is the first day of the (Bengali) month 
— an inauspicious day; and thou art taking thy family down 
to Calcutta! I really don't know what to say.' Saying this he 
smileth and passeth on to other matters. 

Narendra and his Calcutta friends have bathed in the Gan- 
ges. They come into the Master's chamber to dress them- 
selves. The Master saith to Narendra with great eagerness, 
'Go to the foot of the Banyan tree and there meditate on the 
Lord for some time; shall I give thee something to sit on?' 

Narendra and his Brahma friends have seated themselves 
on the terraced brick-work built round the tree and are medi- 
tating upon the Lord. 

It is past ten in the morning. The Master cometh up a 
little while after. M. is also here. The Master talketh with 

Narendra and his friends. 
How to Meditate Master (to Narendra, etc.): — In the course of 

meditation one needeth to be merged in the 
Lord. If one floateth on the surface, one cannot hope to 
reach the precious stones lying at the bottom. 

Saying this, the Master singeth: 

SONG 

1 . O, my mind, take thou the Name of the Mother and dive deep — 
Into the depth of the heart — the Ocean which is the repository of 

all precious gems. 

2. Thou mayest not get the treasures after a few immersions, but 
that proveth not that the sea of thy heart hath no treasures within. 

3. In this sea there are the alligators, viz., the six passions, (lust, 
anger, etc.) 

They move about in quest of food. Hence rub thy body with the 
turmeric of Discrimination 1 . 

Viveka. 



SRI <RAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA AND OTHERS 91 

The scent of the turmeric will keep thee from being touched by 
the alligators. 

4. Many are the precious gems that lie scattered about on the 
bottom of the sea. 

Take a plunge to the bottom, saith Ramaprasad, and thou shalt 
get them. 

Narendra and his friends come down from their seats at 
the foot of the 'Five Trees 1 ' and stand round the Master. 

The Master with his face to the south walks 
Seek ye first the Lord with the disciples in the direction of his 
chamber. He talks as he walks. He saith: 
'Rub thy body with turmeric and the alligators will be kept 
off. Love, anger, avarice, etc., are the six alligators. Discri- 
mination is the turmeric. It enableth one to understand that 
God is the only Reality and all else unreal. 

What availeth book-learning or the delivery of lectures if 
there is no Discrimination — the sense that God is the one 
Reality and all else is transitory? 

First, set Him up in the Temple of the Heart; first realize 
God. Speeches, lectures and the rest, these may be taken up 
after ye have seen God, — not before. People 
rIZZ-Z^ZI taj k SW7 of Brahman — God the Absolute- 
all the time that they are attached to things 
of this world. What doth all this come to? Mere blowing 
of the conch-shell without any Gods to worship within the 
temple 2 . Let me speak a parable unto you. 

There was once a young man named Podo in a certain 

village. In that village there was an old, dilapidated temple. 

The Holy Image of God, once worshipped, 

God in the Temple 111* 1 1 •. .11 t 

of the Heart " ac * disappeared and it was now the home or 

small bats. One day at nightfall the villagers 
were surprised to hear the sound of bells, gong and conch- 
shell issuing from the deserted temple. Men, women and 
children, all flocked to the place. They thought some devotee 
must be worshipping some Image of God recently set up 
within the temple and performing the evening ceremony — 
waving the lights and flowers, fruits, holy waters, etc., before 
the Image. With folded hands they all stood before the 
temple listening to the sacred sounds. 

One of them more curious than the rest had the courage to 
peep in. What was his surprise to see Podo ringing the bell 

1 Panchabati. 2 Aratrika. 



92 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

and blowing the conch-shell ! The floor was as dirty as before 
with impurities of all kinds and there was no Image of God to 
worship! He then called out saying, 'O, Podo, thou hast no 
Image of God 1 in thy temple. How is it thou hast raised all 
this clamor by blowing the conch-shell? And behold thou 
hast not yet taken the trouble to cleanse the temple, to remove 
the dirt and impurities of years and to wash the floor with the 
holy waters of the Ganges! And the building continued to be 
soiled as before night and day by the small bats*, eleven in 
number! 

First, realize God in the Temple of your Heart. To that end 
you must cleanse it of all impurities — all sin and iniquity — all 
attachment to this world caused by the sense-organs. One 
must free oneself of one's sensuous nature in order to realize 
God. It is then that the time cometh for blowing the shell if 
need be. Talkest thou of social reforms? Well, thou may est 
do so after realizing God. Remember, the Rishis of old gave 
up the world in order to attain God. This is the one thing 
needful. All other things shall be added unto thee if indeed 
thou carest to have them. 

If ye seek the gems lying at the bottom of the sea ye must 

take a plunge to the bottom, giving up all other works. First 

set up the Image of God; then talk of blow- 

The Dioine Teacher ing the conch-shell. First see God and then 

talk of lectures and social reforms. 
It is a most difficult task — that of teaching others. He who 
seeth God receiveth His Commandment. He alone who 
receiveth the Lord's Commandment is competent to teach 
others. 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE MARRIED MAN'S PROBLEM 

By this time the Master has come up to the northern veran- 
dah which runs east and west. He stands on that verandah 
close to his chamber with Narendra, Mani, and other disciples. 

The Master saith repeatedly that God cannot be seen by a 
person who doth not possess Discrimination 2 and Non-attach- 
ment 3 . 

1 Madhava or Sri Krishna. 2 Viveka. 8 Vairagya. 

* Eleven sense-organs or Indriuas ; five organs of perception, five of Karma or work 
(hands, feet, etc.) and the head organ or mind. 



SRI HAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA AND OTHERS 93 

Mani who is 27 or 28 years old has received an English 
education. He is married and thinks to himself, saying, 'Do 
. , these (Discrimination and Non- attachment) 

The Problem for the • .• r .i 1 1 1*1 c 

Householder mean renunciation or the world like a oannyas- 

in — outward renunciation of 'Lust and Gold?' 
Mani (to the Master): — Sir, what if the wife saith to the hus- 
band, 'Thou art neglecting me; I shall commit suicide?' 

Master (in a solemn serious tone): — A wife who standeth in 
the way of the husband seeking God should be given up and 
left to her fate. It mattereth not that she putteth an end to 
her life. Let her do anything that she liketh. A wife who 
standeth in the way of the husband seeking God is an un- 
godly 1 wife who leadeth to ignorance and spiritual death. 

Mani is absorbed in deep thought and leaneth back on the 
wall. Narendra and other disciples stand speechless for a 
moment. 

The Master is talking with them for a while. Suddenly he 
turns to Mani who continues in the same posture leaning back 
on the wall. He speaketh these words aside to Mani: — 'But 
the case is different with a person who hath a genuine, sin- 
cere love for the Lord; everybody cometh under his control 
— kings, bad men and wife. They may come round and 
follow in his footsteps and walk in the path which leadeth to 
the Lord. If the husband sincerely loveth the Lord, the wife 
may come under his control, be religious and help him in his 
struggle to attain eternal life. 

Mani feeleth that the fire kindled in his breast hath been 
put out. He enjoyeth peace of mind once more. 

Mani (to the Master): — What a fearful place is the world 2 ! 

Master (to Mani, Narendra and others): — The life of a 
worldly man is terrible, indeed! Chaitanya Deva once said to 
Nityananda — 

'Listen, listen, O my brother, 

For a worldly man there is hardly any hope of salvation.' 

(Aside to Mani): — Hardly any hope of salvation to the 
worldly man who hath lost sight of God. This doth not apply 
to a person who sincerely loveth the Lord. One who hath 
realized the Lord can remain in the world and yet be fearless. 
Let such a person retire into solitude from time to time and 
thus attain sincere devotion and love to the Lord. 

1 Avidya. 2 Samsara. 



94 GOSPEL OF SRI HAMAKRISHNA 

Well, such a person can remain in the world 1 and yet be 
fearless. Chaitanya Deva had several householders for his 
disciples. They were in the world but not of the world. 
They lived unattached to the world. 

It is about noon. The morning service is over with the 
performance of the ceremony of waving the lights, holy water, 
flowers, etc. The Gods in the Temple will rest a while at 
noon. A piece of music is being played by the concert 2 
announcing the event. The Master sitteth at meat. Narendra 
and other disciples will also, like the Master, take their meals 
out of the sacred offerings presented to the Gods at the 
Temple and graciously accepted by Them. 

1 Samsar. 2 Nahabat. 



SECTION IV. 

October 1882 

STEAMER TRIP WITH KESHAB CHANDRA SEN, LEADER OF 

THE BRAHMA-SAMAJ — THE NEO-THEISTIC 

MOVEMENT IN BENGAL 

CHAPTER I. 
THE MASTER IN SAMADHI 

This is the day when the Goddess 1 of Wealth and Pros- 
perity is worshipped in India. It is the full moon after Durga 
Puja; Friday, the 27th of October, 1882. He was seated in 
his room in the Temple-garden talking with Bejoy Goswami 
and Haralal. A gentleman came in and said, 'Keshab Sen 
has come; he is on board a steamer which has just come up 
here and which stands before the ghat' 

A short while elapsed and Keshab's disciples came in and 
bowed down before Sri Ramakrishna. They said, — 'Sir, here 
is the steamer for thee; Keshab Babu is on board, and has 
sent us to thee with a request that thou wilt kindly come on 
board and join him. Thou mayest be assured that thou wilt 
enjoy the trip.' 

It is just four o'clock. A boat takes the Master to the 
steamer. Stepping into the boat, he loses all sense-conscious- 
ness! He is in Samadhi! With him is Bejoy. 

M. is on board the steamer. As the Master's boat is coming 
up, M. looks at the blessed sight — the picture of the Master 
with the senses all still and motionless before the Blessed 
Vision that his soul is enjoying. He got on board the steamer 
at about three o'clock in the afternoon. He is very eager to 
see the meeting between the Master and Keshab and witness 
the joy that is sure to come of such a meeting. The mind of 
many a young man like M. has been captured, so to speak, 
by the saintly character of Keshab and by his unrivalled 
eloquence. 

Indeed, many regarded Keshab as their own flesh and 
blood and had thus given him their heart's love. Keshab has 
received an English education; he is well versed in English 
philosophy and literature; in the next place he has on different 

1 Lakshmi. 



96 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

occasions called the worship of Images by the name of 'idol- 
atry.* It is certainly curious that such a man looks upon Sri 
Ramakrishna with reverence and admiration and visits him at 
the Temple off and on! It is a most interesting task for M. 
and others to find out the common ground on which they 
both meet together. 

The Master, indeed, holds that God is without form. He is 
thus at one with Keshab on this point, but he also holds that 
God is 'with form,* too, He meditates upon God the Abso- 
lute 1 . At the same time he does not neglect to worship with 
flowers, incense and other offerings, the Images with forms — 
manifest as Gods and Goddesses in the Hindu Pantheon. 
What is more, he sings and dances before them with the mad- 
ness of the joy of the Lord. The Master, unlike an ascetic, 
lies down on a bed supported by a bedstead; the cloth that 
he puts on is red-bordered; he uses also coats and stockings 
and slippers. With all this he is not of the world. The signs 
of him are all like those that mark out an ascetic from a 
householder; hence people call him a Paramahamsa. On the 
other hand, Keshab holds that God is without form; he lives 
the life of a householder in midst of his wife and children; 
he delivers lectures in English; he brings out a newspaper 
dealing with religious subjects; he does also attend in his 
own way to worldly affairs. 

The boat has come alongside. Everybody is eager to see 
him. They crowd to the gangway. Keshab is anxious to see 
that the Master gets on board the steamer in safety. 

It is with great difficulty that he is brought back to sense- 
consciousness once more in order to be taken inside the cabin 
on the upper deck. The state of divine ecstasy has not left him 
even now. He leans on a disciple as he is led into the room. 
He takes his steps mechanically, but his mind is fixed on God. 

He has now entered the cabin on the upper deck. Keshab 
and others bow down to him. But what little sense-conscious- 
ness has been left is now beginning to leave him altogether. 
Inside the cabin are a bench, a table and a few chairs. 

The Master is seated on one of the chairs; Keshab on 
another; Bejoy has also taken his seat. Other devotees, most 
of them Brahmas, are also seated, many of them on the bare 
floor. The cabin is a small one. Many remain standing at 
the door and the windows, and they eagerly peep in. 

1 Brahman. 



A KRIP WITH KESHAB SEN 97 

The Master is now in Samadhi again; absolutely devoid of 
outer consciousness! Everybody is watching his face. Keshab 
sees that many people have come together within the cabin and 
that the Master is in need of more air. Bejoy, until lately a fol- 
lower of Keshab, has after the schism become a member of an- 
other sect, the Sadharan Brahma-Samaj. He spoke against Ke- 
shab on different occasions with reference to his having given 
away his child-daughter in marriage in opposition to the well- 
known principles of his sect. Keshab is thus a little unprepared 
to meet Bejoy, whose visit to the steamer is most unexpected. 

Keshab leaves his seat. He will open the windows. 

All look earnestly on the Master with fixed eyes. He comes 

down from his Samadhi; but the consciousness of the Divine 

Presence continues to be as intense as before. 

thewZld 0U$e ^ e ta ^ s to t ^ ie Mother of the Universe in 

words that are hardly articulate. 
Saith he, 'Oh Mother! why hast Thou brought me here? 
They are hedged round and are not free! Is it indeed pos- 
sible for me to save them out of their prison-house?' 

Is it that the Master looks upon men of the world as beings 
who are shut up within a prison-house (Samsar)', who cannot 
get out into the free air of God-consciousness; who cannot so 
much as see the Light Divine; who, in short, are bound hand 
and foot by affairs of the world? Men of the world can indeed 
see only the things within their prison-house — pleasures of 
the senses and worldly things. Is it thus that he saith to the 
Divine Mother, 'Why hast Thou brought me here?' 

There is Nilmadhab of Ghazipur present at this unique 
meeting. Observing that the Master has come to himself, he 
and a Brahma devotee begin to talk of Pow- 
T he Soul and the Body hari Baba, the great saint of Ghazipur. 

A Brahma (to the Master): — Sir, these gentle- 
men have been fortunate enough to see Powhari Baba at 
Ghazipur. The Baba is another holy man like thy good self. 

Not even now hath the Master got back the power of 
speech. His heart is full; he cannot speak. He only smileth 
on the good man who talketh of the Baba. 

Brahma (to the Master): — Sir, Powhari Baba hath got thy 
photograph too, which he hath put up in his own room. 

The Master smileth again and pointeth to his own body 
with his finger. At last, in a subdued tone, he saith, 'A 
pillow-case! It is nothing but a pillow-case.' 



98 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

'The pillow and the pillow-case!' The Soul and the Body! 
Doth the Master say that the body alone dieth and the Soul 
dieth not, that the photograph is of the body which will not 
last forever? Does he for this reason say, "Let us not set a 
very high value on a photograph which is of the body, but 
rather worship Him who is the Ruler of the Soul within?" 

The Master goeth on: — But there is one thing to be borne 
in mind. The heart of the devotee 1 is the Temple of the Lord. 
It is indeed a fact that the Lord is more or 
Drawing-room ^ ess manifest in all things. But He is manifest 

in a special sense within the heart of the 
devotee. Thus, a Zemindar can be met at any of the houses 
of which he is owner. Still people would say, the Zemindar 
may be usually seen in a particular drawing-room. The heart 
of the devotee is the Lord's drawing-room. If one wanteth 
to meet the Lord, one hath better seek an audience in the 
drawing-room. {Laughter.) 

The same Being whom the Vedantists call Brahman (the 
Absolute) is called Atman (Universal Soul) by the Yogis, and 
BhagaVan (or God Personal with Divine attributes) by Bhaktas 
(devotees or God-lovers). 

The high-caste Brahman always remaineth one and the 
same person. When his duty is to worship the Lord he is 
called the priest, but when the same man is employed in the 
kitchen he is called a cook. 

The Vedantist, who seeks to realize God the Absolute, 
reasons, saying, 'Not this, not this'; that is, the Absolute is not 
this, not that; not any finite object; nor the 
The Non-dualist individual soul or the external world. When 

as the result of this kind of reasoning, the 
mind ceases to be moved by desires, when, in fact, the con- 
ditioned mind vanishes, then is it that one can attain True 
Knowledge 2 , then is it that one's soul goeth into Samadhi. 
Such a man truly realizes God the Absolute and consequently 
finds the phenomenal universe to be unreal. He realizes that 
names and forms applied to finite objects are like dreams; 
that God the Absolute cannot be described by words; indeed, 
that one cannot so much as say that God is a Person. 

Such is the point of view of a Non-dualist. Devotees or 
Lovers 3 of God, however, think and feel differently. Unlike 
the Non-dualists they look upon the waking state as a real 

1 Bhakta. 2 Brahmajnana. s Bhaktas. 



Jl "URIP WITH KESHAB SEN 99 

state and upon the external world as real and not like dreams. 
They believe also in names and forms. They say that the 
objects before us of the universe are the works of God, Who 
is a Personal God and is possessed of many attributes. The 
starry heavens, the sun, the moon; the mountain, the sea; 
men, birds and beasts; all are His glorious works. He is the 
rich man and these are His riches. He is both within and 
without. The most advanced among devotees further says, 
'It is He Who hath become manifest before us as the Human 
Soul and the External World, as the twenty-four categories* 
mentioned by the philosopher 1 .' The devotee wanteth not to 
be one with the sugar but would rather have a taste of it. 
(Laughter.) 

Do ye know how the devotee actually thinketh and feeleth? 
Fie saith, 'Oh Lord! Thou art the Master, I am Thy servant; 
Thou art my Mother and I Thy child;' or again, 'Thou art 
my child and I Thy father or Thy mother;' or thus, 'Thou art 
the whole and I Thy part.' The devotee will not say, 'I am 
God.' 2 

The Yogi (or the aspirant who seeketh to commune with 
God) wisheth also to realize the Universal Soul 3 . His object 
is to bring by self-control the finite human soul 4 into com- 
munion with the Infinite Soul . He trieth first to put together 
his mind which lieth scattered in the act of running after the 
world of senses; he then seeketh to fix it on the Universal 
Soul. Hence is the necessity of meditating on Him in solitude 
and in a posture which causeth no distraction. 

But it is One and the same Substance^", the difference being 
only in the names. It is the same Being Whom men call by 
the name of the Absolute 2 , the Soul 3 of the Universe, the Per- 
sonal God° with Divine Attributes. The first is the name 
applied by the Vedantist philosopher (Monist), the second 
by the Unionist 6 , and the third by the Devotees 7 (Dualists). 

1 Sankhya. 2 Brahman. 3 Atman. 4 Jivatman. 5 Bhagavan. 6 Yogi. 7 Bhaktas. 

* The twenty-four categories are the following, viz. : — the five gross elements (Earth, 
Water, Fire, Air, Space) ; the five fine elements ; the five organs of sense, the five organs 
of work ; the mind ; the determinative faculty (buddhi) ; the ego ; Prakriti. 

+ "Substantia" — Spinoza. 



100 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

CHAPTER II. 
GOD PERSONAL, THE OMNIPOTENT MOTHER 1 AND HER POWERS 

The steamer hath already left and is on its way back to 
Calcutta. Many are those who look on Sri Ramakrishna with 
eyes that do not move and who drink the nectar of the words 
that drop from his hallowed lips. They cannot feel that the 
steamer is in motion. The Temple-garden is left behind and 
the eye can no longer see the picture of that beautiful Temple. 
Beneath are the sacred waters that reflect the blue firmament 
above. But the murmurs of the waves — with crests of foam 
into which they are broken as the steamer passes cleaving 
along — are lost on the ears of the devotees. The magic of 
the Blessed Vision hath thrown a charm over them. They 
have before them a wonderful Being, a God-in-Man and a 
Man-in-God, with smiles playing on his sweet face radiant 
with the joy of the Lord, with eyes the beauty of which is 
enhanced by the collyrium of Divine Love. They look, as if 
charmed, on one who hath given up the world and its 
pleasures, on one intoxicated with the love of the Lord, on 
one who looketh not for anything except the Lord. The con- 
versation goeth on. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — According to the Non-dualistic Vedanta 
philosophy as explained by Sankara, God the Absolute (Brah- 
_ , , At , , man) is the only Reality; and the phenomenal 

God the Absolute and 111/" • 1 Tl D 1 /"" 1 

God the Creator world before us is unreal. 1 he rersonal Liod, 

the Divine Mother 1 Who manifesteth Herself 
to us as the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, is not a Reality 
in the absolute sense, that is, in the sense in which the Abso- 
lute is understood to be Real. But it is impossible for an 
ordinary mortal to go beyond the jurisdiction of God Personal, 
however he may reason, saying, 'Not this, not this,' — unless, 
stripped of his relative sensuous nature, his soul becometh 
one with the Absolute 2 Unconditioned God, in that blessed, 
serene and ecstatic state called Samadhi. When one saith, 'I 
am meditating upon God,' even then, one is going about 
within that jurisdiction, one cannot shake oneself free from 
the idea of a Personal God possessed of Attributes. 

Thus God the Absolute and God Omnipotent and Personal 
are the same. A belief in the one implieth a belief in the 

1 Shakti or Kali. 2 Brahman. 



JI 'URIP WITH KESHAB SEN 101 

other. Thus fire cannot be thought of apart from its burning 

power. Nor can its burning power be thought of apart from 

the fire. Again, the sun's rays cannot be 

One God thought of apart from the sun, nor can the 

sun be thought of apart from its rays. 
What is milk like? Well, people say it is whitish sort of thing. 
Now, you cannot think of the milky whiteness apart from the 
milk; nor can you think of the milk apart from its milky 
whiteness. 

Thus God the Absolute cannot be thought of apart from the 
idea of God with Attributes or God Personal, and vice versa. 
The Unconditioned, the Absolute, the Noumenon, the Sub- 
stance on the one hand, and the Conditioned, the Relative, 
the Phenomenon, the Attributes on the other hand, are cor- 
relatives — the one cannot be thought of apart from the other. 

God Personal with Attributes, the Primal Divine Energy, 
as we conceive that Being to be, createth, preserveth and 
destroyeth. The sacred books 1 call that Being by the name, 
Mother 2 of the Universe. 

Thus God Personal and God Impersonal are one and the 
same Substance. I call that Being the Absolute or Uncon- 
ditioned when I cannot think of It as Active or as creating, 
preserving or destroying. I call that Being Personal and pos- 
sessed of Attributes when I think of It as active, creating, pre- 
serving, destroying and under all possible aspects. 

The Being is the same; only the names are different under 

different aspects like the same substance expressed in different 

languages such as, jal, water, pant, vari and 

Reconciliation of all A . 1 l C 1 /i "1 • 

R e l hiora aqua. A tank may have rour ghats (mnding- 

places with steps). The Hindus drink at one 
ghat, they call it jal. The Mahomedans drink at anothor and 
call it parxi. The English who drink at a third call it water. 

God is one, only the names are different. Some call Him 
by the name of Allah, some God, some Brahman, others Kali, 
others again Rama, Hari, Jesus, Buddha. 

Keshab (smiling): — Do say it once more, revered Sir, in 
what different ways Kali, the Mother of the Universe, is mak- 
ing Herself manifest in this world of Her sports. 

Sri Ramat\rishna (smiling): — Oh! the Mother sports with the 
world, Her toy, under various aspects and various names. Now 
She is the Goddess 3 Unconditioned, Absolute, Formless; now 

1 Tantras. 2 Kali or Shakti. 3 Mahakali. 



102 GOSPEL OF SRI HAMAKRISHNA 

the Everlasting 1 as distinguished from Her works. Under 
another aspect She is the Goddess of burning ghats or crema- 
tories, the Dreaded Being that presides over 
The Divine Mother Death; now again does She stand forth before 
us to bless, ready to preserve 3 Her children. 
Under another aspect, She appears pleasing to the eye of Her 
devotees as the Mother with the dark-blue complexion — 
Consort of the God of Eternity and of Infinity. Those sacred 
books, the Tantras, speak of the Goddess 4 Unconditioned, the 
Absolute. When nothing was — no sun, no moon, no planets 

— nothing but darkness deep, there was alone my Divine 
Mother, Formless! As Mother with the dark-blue complexion 
worshipped in Hindu homes, She is more accessible to man; 
She calleth up human interest in a greater degree — coming to 
us with Her favors and saying to Her children, 'Fear not.' 
She is the Goddess that is worshipped in Hindu households. 
As Preserver, She appeareth in times of plague, famine, earth- 
quake, drought or excess of rain. At burning ghats or crema- 
tories, She appeareth in the form of Death. The dead body, 
the jackal, the spirits 5 of destruction are Her terrible compan- 
ions. She liveth in the midst of those horrible scenes, those 
fearful environments. Streams of blood, a garland of skulls 
thrown round Her neck and a girdle made of the hands of 
those that are dead, are the symbols that mark Her out as the 
Dread Mother, the All-Destroyer. 

Now look at Her mode of Creation. At the end of a cycle 

— upon the destruction of the world — my Mother, careful 

Matron that She is, putteth together the seeds 
What is Creation? of Creation. The mistress of a house hath a 

hodgepodge pot of her own in which to keep 
sundry things for household use. (Keshab and others laugh.) 

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling): — Yes, my friend, that is indeed 
so. The mistress of the house hath such a pot in her pos- 
session. In it are kept the 'sea-foam' in a solid state, small 
parcels containing seeds of the cucumber, gourd, etc. She 
bringeth them out when wanted. In the same way my Mother 
keepeth the seeds of Creation after the destruction of the 
world at the end of a cycle. (Laughter.) 

My Mother, the Primal Divine Energy, is both within and 
without this phenomenal world. Giving birth to the World, 
She liveth within it! She is the Spider and the World is the 

1 Nitya-kali. 2 Smasan-kali. 3 Rakshya-kali. 4 Shyama. 5 Dakini, Yogini. 



Jl *€RIP WITH KESHAB SEN 103 

Spider's Web that She hath woven! The Spider bringeth the 
web out of Herself and then liveth on it. My Mother is both 

the Container and the Contained, the Efficient 
Ha- Web* * an< ^ Material Cause of this World-system. 

Is Kali, the Mother, of a dark-blue com- 
plexion ? Oh, no! She is so far away from human ken that 
She only seemeth to be so. 

Doth not the sky look blue from a distance? The sky near 
us is colorless. Pretty much the same is the case with sea- 
water. It is of a dark-blue color when looked at from a dis- 
tance. Come near it. Take a little up in the hands and thou 
shalt find it colorless. Thus go near and realize Kali (the 
Divine Mother), and She will appear to be the same as God 
the Absolute, about Whom no Attribute can be predicated. 

And the Master sang, drunken with the wine of Divine 
Love — 

SONG 

Identity of the Mother and God the Absolute 

Is my Divine Mother black? 

O my mind ! What dost thou say ? 

The Infinite is the Garment that She putteth on! 

Though black, She illumineth the lotus of the heart! 

Sri Ramaf^rishna (to Keshab and others): — Bondage and 
Freedom are both Her making. That man is bound with the 

chains of 'Lust and Gold' is due to the illusory 
The Enigma of Life power of Maya that my Divine Mother hath 

created as part of Her plan of the universe. 
That man can make himself free from his fetters is, again, due 
to the mercy and grace of the same Being, my Divine Mother. 
She taketh Her children across the sea of the world and 
removeth the chains with which they are bound hand and foot 
And the Master sang divinely with that voice which in its 
sweetness rose superior to the voice of the gods 1 in heaven 
who sing there the glories of the Most High: — 

SONG 

The Divine Mother and the Liberated Soul 

1 . O my Mother of the dark-blue complexion, Thou art flying the 
paper kite of the human being in the market-place of this world ! 

That kite flieth on the wind of hope and is fastened to a string 
made of Illusion. 2 

1 Gandharvas. 2 Maya. 



104 GOSPEL OF SRI r RAMAKRISHNA 

2. The wooden framework of the paper kite is the skeleton — 
ribs, veins and the internal organs of the human body; 

The kite is made purely of Thy own attributes 1 ; the rest of the 
workmanship is merely ornamental. 

3. The string is made sharp with the powdered glass of world- 
liness ; 

Out of a hundred-thousand kites, one or two only have their string 
cut through and they are thus set free ; O, then, how Thou laughst 
and clapst Thy hands ! 

4. Prasad saith : The kite thus set free will be carried rapidly on 
favorable wind until it droppeth into the Infinite beyond the sea of 
this world. 

My Divine Mother is always in Her sportive mood. The 
world, indeed, is Her toy. She will have Her own way. It is 
Her pleasure to take out of the prison-house and set free only 
one or two among a hundred-thousand of Her children! 

A Brahma: — Sir, She can if She pleases set everybody free. 
Why is it, then, that She hath bound us hand and foot with 
„ ■: . _, the chains of the world? 

Why is the Human C • r> 7 • 7 "\V/ 11 I •■ • T I 

Soul Imperfect? ^ n Kamatynshna : — Well, 1 suppose, it is Her 

pleasure. It is Her pleasure to go on with Her 
sport with all these beings that She hath brought into exis- 
tence. The player amongst the children that toucheth the 
person of the Grand-dame, the same need no longer run 
about. He cannot take any further part in the exciting play 
of 'Hide and Seek* that goeth on. 

The others who have not touched the goal must run about 
and play to the great delight of the Grand-dame. She would 
by no means be glad if everybody should touch Her person 
at the same time and thus bring the sport to a close. Hence 
Her joy and Her clapping of hands when one only out of a 
hundred-thousand snappeth the string that bindeth the kite of 
the human soul to the world. (Joy of the devotees.) 

It is my Divine Mother that hath said to the human soul, as 
if in confidence, with a twinkle of Her eye, 'Go and live in 
the world until further orders.' Surely, the human soul is not 
to blame. It is quite possible that She out of Her grace can 
turn away the mind from things of the world and thus give 
it freedom once more and pure devotion to the Lotus of Her 
Feet. 

And the Master sang, placing himself in the position of 
men of the world and laying the trouble of his heart before 
the Divine Mother. 

1 Sattva, Rajas, Tamas. 



Jl "UR1P WITH KESHAB SEN 105 

SONG 
The Divine Mother and Her Children 

1 . This indeed is the thought that weigheth heavily on my heart : — 
Thou, my own Mother, art here and I am wide awake, and behold ! 

thieves (passions) do rob me of my all! 

2. Sometimes I form the resolution of repeating Thy holy Name, 
but I forget to do so at the proper hour! 

O, now I know, I feel, that all this is Thy trick. 

3. Thou hast not given, so Thou hast not received, aught to keep 
or to eat ; am I to blame for this ? 

Hadst Thou given, Thou wouldst have surely received, and I 
would have offered Thee, out of Thy own gifts! 

4. Fame or calumny, sweet or bitter, all is Thine! 

O, Thou Ruler of all tender feelings, why dost Thou break them 
as they are called forth in me instead of giving them play ? 

5. Prasad saith : Thou hast given me the mind but hast with a 
twinkle of Thine eye confided to it a secret at the same time. 

Thus do I roam about seeking joy through a world, which is Thy 
creation, taking bitter for sweet, unreal for real. 

* * ♦ % 5fc 

It is my Divine Mother That hath created this delusion, 
which hath left man struggling in this sea of the world. 
Prasad saith: O Mother! Thou hast in giving me the soul 
secretly bidden it live attached to the world. 

CHAPTER III. 

WORK 1 WITHOUT ATTACHMENT OR THE PROBLEM FOR THE 
MAN OF THE WORLD SOLVED 

A Brahma: — Sir, is it a fact that one cannot realize God 
unless one giveth up the world? 

Master (smiling): — Assuredly not. It is certainly not for you 
to give up everything. Ye are very well off as ye are. There 
are both pure gold and the dross; the pure crystallized sugar 
and the molassses with all its impurities; are they not both 
sweet ? (Laughter,) 

O! I should think that you are very well. Do you know nox* 
(a kind of play with cards)? Having taken more cards from 
the Player and scored more points than were necessary, I have 
lost the play. Ye are far too clever for the Player. Ye rest 
content some with ten points, some with six, some others even 

1 Karma Yoga. 



* One need score only 1 7 points to win this game. 



106 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

with five! Ye have been clever enough not to ask for more 
from the Player; so ye have not lost the play. The play still 
goeth on. That is all right; think ye not so? (Laughter.) 

Verily I say into you, it mattereth not whether you live the 
life of a householder or ye are men of the world. Only ye 
must fix your mind on God. Do your work with one hand 
and touch the Feet of the Lord with the other. When ye 
have no work in the world to do, hold His Feet fast to your 
heart with both your hands. 

The mind is everything. If the mind hath lost its liberty, 
ye lose yours. If the mind is free, you are free too. The mind 
may be dipped in colors, red, orange, yellow, 
environments violet or green. It is like the white cloth just 

returned to you by the washerman. This 
white cloth thou may dip in any color thou likest. Study 
English, and ye must speak in English in spite of yourself 
(laughter); ye put on boots, you whisle; in fact you do your 
level best to behave like a native of England. The Pandit 
who studies Sanskrita must quote couplets 1 . If the mind be 
kept in bad company, it will color one's thought and conver- 
sation. Placed in the midst of devotees, one's mind shall 
meditate upon God and talk on God and God alone. 

The mind is everything. It changeth its nature according 
to the object — according to the things amongst which it liveth 
and acteth. The attraction for the wife is of one kind and 
the affection for the child is of a quite different nature. On 
one side is one's wife, on another side is the child; one 
caresseth both, but moved by quite different impulses! 

THE SENSE OF SIN; MESSAGE TO CHRISTIANITY AND 
THE BRAHMA-SAMAJ 

Sri Ramakrishna (to the Brahma devotees) : — The bondage is 
of the mind. Freedom is also of the mind. I am a free soul; 
be it in the world, or in the forest, I am not bound. I am the 
son of God, the son of the King of Kings. Who is there to 
bind me in fetters? In case thou art bitten by a snake, one 
way of getting rid of the venom is to make use of thy will- 
power and say, 'There is no venom, there is no venom.' In 
the same way thou shouldst say, 'I am not in fetters, I am free.' 

They once placed a book in my hands written by Christians. 
I wanted them to read and explain passages from it. Would 

iSMcfcas. 



JJ 'CRIP WITH KESHAB SEN 107 

you believe me that there was only one theme in that book — 
sin and sin — from the beginning of the chapter to the end! 

(To Keshab): — The members of the Brahma-Samaj also talk 
of sin and sinners alone. The fool who saith without ceasing 
'I am in bondage' doth, indeed, bring bondage on himself in 
the end! The wretch who saith eternally 'I am a sinner, I am 
a sinner' turneth out a sinner, indeed! 

The name of God when uttered through faith by a sinner 
shall bring salvation unto him. 'What! have I not chanted 
His holy Name and must I be a sinner still? Must I still be 
in bondage?' — are words of Faith in the Lord. Krishna- 
kishore was a pious Hindu, a Brahman of Brahmans, who 
worshipped the Lord with a single-minded devotion. He 
went to Brindaban on pilgrimage. One day, while visiting the 
various shrines, he felt very thirsty. He went to a well where 
he found a man standing whom he asked, saying, 'Sirrah, 
canst thou draw some water for me? What caste art thou? 
The man replied, 'Oh, divine Sir, I belong to a low caste, that 
of a cobbler.' Krishnakishore thereupon said to him, 'It mat- 
ters not; utter the name of the Lord; say, 'Siva,' 'Siva,' and 
draw the water for me.' 

Chant the Name of God and, depend upon it, your body, 
mind and soul shall become pure. 

Why talk of sin and hell-fire all the days of your life? Do 
say but once, 'I have, O Lord, done thing that I ought not to 
have done and I have left undone things that I ought to have 
done. O Lord! forgive me!' 

Saying this have faith in His hallowed Name and ye shall 
be purged of all sins. 

And the Master sang on the power of God's sacred Name. 

SONG 
God's Sacred Name and its Power 

1. O Mother, grant unto me to die 

With Thy sacred Name on my lips ; 
Then, O good Mother, I shall see whether 

Or not Thou savest this poor helpless child of Thine. 

2. I care not if I kill the sacred cow or 

A god-like Brahman, or even the child in its 
Mother's womb ; O, I care not if I am sinful 
Enough to drink or even to kill a woman. 



108 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

With all these sins of the darkest type, I have within my easy 
reach, and can lay claim to, the high office of the god whom Thou 
hast appointed to be the Creator 1 of the world. 

To my Divine Mother, I prayed for pure devotion 2 alone. 
With flowers in my folded hands, I prayed, saying, "Do Thou, 
O Mother, grant that I may have pure unal- 
The Lord's Prayer loyed devotion 2 . Here is sin, here again is 
merit, O take them both, I lay them at Thy 
Feet. Here is knowledge (of many things), here again is 
ignorance, O take them both and grant that I may have devo- 
tion 2 alone. Here again is purification on the one hand and 
defilement on the other; I desire neither of them. Here are 
good works, here are bad, and both I lay at Thy Feet; O, 
grant that I may have devotion alone and love for Thee!" 

(To the Brahma devotees) : — Listen to a song by Ram 
Prasad. 

SONG 

My Divine Mother and the Discipline of the Mind 

1. Come, O my Mind, let us go out for a walk. 

Let us gather the four* fruits at the foot of the Kalpa Treef, viz., 
my Divine Mother. 

2. Thou hast, O my Mind, two wives ; take Non-worldliness 3 with 
thee on thy way to the Tree. 

Ask — about the Lord — Her Son called Viveka Who knoweth the 
Real (God) from the unreal phenomenal world. 

3. O, when shalt thou lie down in the abode of the blessed with 
Purification 4 and Defilement 5 alike by thy side ; 

Thou shalt see my Divine Mother as soon as all difference between 
the two co-wives ceaseth to exist. 

4. Do thou turn out thy parents, Egoism 6 and Ignorance 7 . 
Should Mine-ness 8 try to draw thee into its hole do thou cling to 

the post of Patience. 

5. Tie to a worthless post the two goats called Virtue 9 (due to 
the good works) and Vice 10 (due to the bad works) ; 

Should they prove refractory, let them be killed before the altar of 
God with the sword of Knowledge. 

6. Admonish, O my Mind, the children of thy first wife Worldli- 
ness 11 from a safe distance; 

Should they not obey thee, see that they are drowned in the Sea 
of True Knowledge 12 . 

1 Brahma. 2 Bhakti. 3 Nivritti. 4 Shuchi. 5 Ashuchi. 6 Ahamkara. 7 Avidya. 8 Moha. 
9 Dharma. 10 Adharma. u Pravritti. 12 Jnana. 

* Four fruits : Dharma (good works) ; A rtha (wealth) ; Kama (desires) ; Moksha (liber- 
ation of the soul). 

t Kalpa Tree — a tree in Heaven which grants everything that the believer prays for. 






JI 'CRIP WITH KESHAB SEN 109 

7. Prasad saith : If thou go on like this, thou shalt be able to 
render a satisfactory account of thyself to the Lord of Death ; 

And I shall be glad to call thee 'my child,' 'my darling,' the 'idol 
of my father ' and by other pet names ; and thou shalt be indeed a 
mind after my mind. 

THE PROBLEM OF LIFE FOR THE MAN OF THE WORLD 

It may be given even to the householder to see God. It 
was the case with Raja Janak, the great royal sage. A great 
devotee once called the world a structure of dreams. But, 
according to Prasad, another great lover of God, that is not 
the whole truth, and one may be in the world though not of 
the world. 

And the Master sang: — 

SONG 
The World to a Lover of God 

1. The world is indeed a thing of joy; let me eat and drink and 
be merry. 

2. Raja Janak, the great royal sage, was he inferior in any respect 
to the holy man who has given up the world ? 

Oh no, he it was who was loyal to both Matter and Spirit*, who 
realized God and at the same time drank his cup of milk. (Laughter.) 

But one cannot rise to the height of Janak Raja all of a sud- 
den by leaps and bounds. Janak spent many long years in 
devotional practices, in solitude, away from 

e ra ma- ami ^ j. an j bustle of the WOrld. Thus it 

and Janak Koja . . . 

behoveth everybody to go into solitude ror 
some time. It is a great thing, if one can cry out for the Lord 
for three days steadily, in solitude, away from the haunts of 
men. Indeed, one day passed in such a way would be a great 
gain. People are ready enough to shed, for wives and chil- 
dren, tears that will fill a water-pot; but who crieth for the 
Lord? It would do men of the world infinite good if they 
would now and then retire into solitude to the end that God 
may be seen and realized. 

There are thousand-and-one difficulties in the way of the 
aspirant in the first stage of his spiritual life. These difficulties 
are caused by the world and its attractions. The tree planted 
on the footpath standeth in need of a fence lest it be eaten 
U P by goats and cows. The fence is to last so long as the 

* Loyal to matter and Spirit. — Compare ' Sensibility ' and ' Rationality ' (of the Hegelian 
philosophers). 



1 1 GOSPEL OF SRI HAMAKRISHNA 

plant is young and tender; when the trunk and roots get 
thicker and stronger no fence will be needed. An elephant 
tied to the trunk of such a tree will not injure it. 

The disease of a worldly man is of a serious type. His 
organs with their functions are entirely out of order. He hath 
lost sight of the Lord, his own Father, and is attached to ' Lust 
and Gold.' These have brought all this trouble on him and 
he needeth rest and solitude. 

Would you keep a large water-jar and savoury pickles in 
the same room in which a patient is laid up with typhoid 
fever? If ye wish to cure such a patient ye must have him 
removed from that room, in case it is impossible to send away 
the jar and the pickles! 

A man of the world (a householder) is such a patient; 
worldly things make the water-jar; desire to enjoy those things 
is the patient's thirst. The mouth waters at the mere thought 
of the pickles; they need not be placed before us. Women 
looked at with a carnal eye are such things. Hence solitude 
is the best remedy for it. 

First, have a sense of what is Real and what is unreal; and, 
secondly, know what it is to live unattached to the world. 
Having these two, viz., Discrimination 1 and Non-attachment 2 
we may live a family life. In the sea of the world are the 
crocodiles — passions and desires. Rub thy body with turme- 
ric pounded to a pulp, if thou wishest to bathe in that sea; 
for then, crocodiles will do no harm to thee. The turmeric is 
Discrimination 1 , r. e., knowing of the Real from the unreal 
and Non-atachment 2 . God is the only Reality; the phenom- 
enal universe is unreal. 
Yearning for the Lord Along with this another thing is wanted — 
that is, intense devotion to God. The Gopees 
of Brindaban had such a devotion. They had an intense love 
for Sri Krishna — God-Incarnate. Here is a song about their 
love for the God-Man. 

SONG 

Yearning for the Lord 

I. O, the sweet flute is again being played on in yonder wood! 
(I for my part must go there !) 

(My Beloved of the dark-blue color standeth waiting for me there !) 
O tell me, my dears, if you too are coming or not. 

1 Viveka. 2 Vairagya. 



Jl TRIP WITH KESHAB SEN 1 1 1 

2. My Beloved — O, I am afraid He is a mere word — an empty 
sound to you, my friends! 

But to me He is the vital part. O, He is my very life, my heart, 
my soul ! 

Sri Ramakrishna is in tears as he sings. He saith to Keshab 
and other devotees with great feeling, "Ye are Brahmas; ye 
believe that God is formless and do not believe in God-Incar- 
nate. Well, it mattereth not. Ye need not accept Radha and 
Sri Krishna or any persons as Incarnations of the Supreme 
Being. But the attachment, the intense love, the yearning 
which they 1 felt for Sri Krishna is a thing which ye may well 
make your own. 

Yearning is the next step leading to realization — to God- 
vision." 

CHAPTER IV. 

MASTER AND DISCIPLE : GOD, THE ONLY MASTER 

It is the ebb-tide. The steamer is going fast down stream 
towards Calcutta. It gets to the other side of the Howrah 
Bridge within sight of the Botanical Gardens. The Captain 
has orders to go a little farther down. How far the steamer 
has actually gone down the river is not known to those who 
are listening to Sri Ramakrishna and watching his movements. 
They listen with rapt attention! They have no idea either of 
time or of distance! 

Keshab now offers the Master popped rice with the kernel 
of the cocoanut. All present are invited to partake of these. 
They take them within the folds of their cloth, eat and are 
very happy. It seems as if a festival were being held on 
board the steamer. 

The Master notices that Bejoy and Keshab are not quite at 
home in each other's presence. He would see that they make 
up their differences. Is it not his mission to see on earth 
Peace and Good-will among men? 

Master (to Keshab): — Look here, my dear Sir, here is Bejoy. 
As to your quarrels and fights — well, don't worry yourselves 
on that account. There was fighting enough even between 
Siva and Rama. (Laughter.) 

Siva was Rama's spiritual guide! After a little fighting, 
they made it up and became once more as good friends as 

1 Gopees. 



1 1 2 GOSPEL OF SRI <RA MA KRISHNA 

ever. But the fighting went on among their followers. The 
gibberish of the ghosts and. the chatter of the monkeys could 
not easily be quieted down. Ye, too, will be very good friends 
once again. But your followers — well, I dare say, they will 
go after you. {Laughter.) 

One's own flesh and blood! That is how he (Bejoy) standeth 
in relation to thee. These differences, thou knowest, are 
things that cannot be avoided. There was the tug-of-war 
even in the case of father and son. Take the case of Rama 
and his sons — Lava and Kusha. Take another case. The 
weal of the mother and of the daughter is the same ; still they 
observe the 'Tuesday' each on her own account as the day of 
fast and prayers. It is as if the weal of the one went against 
the weal of the other. 

In the same way, thou, Keshab, hast a religious Society 
(Sarnaj) of thine own ; and Bejoy must have a separate Society 
of his own, too! {Laughter.) 

Well, there is room enough for all kinds of things under 
Providence — even for quarrels and differences. When it was 
God-Incarnate Himself Who appeared at Brindaban the ques- 
tion may very well be, 'Why did Jatilla and Kutilla stand in 
the way of His mission of Love?' I suppose, His sport as the 
Divine Lover would have died a natural death from want of 
nourishment, but for those obstructives, the Jatillas and Kutil- 
las. {Laughter.) Opposition addeth zest to a thing. Rama- 
nuja held the doctrine of qualified Non-dualism. His spiritual 
guide, however, was a Non-dualist without any qualification; 
so they had their differences. Master and disciple criticised 
each other. This sort of thing cometh about every day. Be 
it so; still to the master the disciple is his own. 

They all rejoice. Sri Ramakrishna saith to Keshab. That 
thy disciples break away from thee is no wonder. Never 
dost thou study their nature before taking them in. 

Men are the same in form and appearance. But they differ 
in the qualities of their nature. In some the 'qualities ' lead 
them Godward. In others they 2 make them inclined to mul- 
tiply work and duty. In a third class, they 3 cause Ignorance 
which turneth the mind away from God. Pooli, a kind of 
cake, may all have the same look, but they differ as to their 
contents. In some the contents are the sweet condensed 
milk; in others, it is the kernel of the cocoanut sweetened by 

1 Sattva. 2 Rajas. 3 Tamas. 



Jl "CRIP WITH KESHAB SEN 1 13 

treacle or sugar. In others again, the contents may be Kalai 
pulse boiled without any admixture of sweets. {Laughter.) 

The way of thinking and feeling into which I for my part 

have been put by my Divine Mother is somewhat different. 

I go about eating and playing, child as I am 

SriRamaknshna's of Divine Mother. It is She Who must 

relation to the , 11 1 

Divine Mother know all the rest. 

Ineeed there are three words which prick me 
to the core: (1) Spiritual Guide 1 , (2) Doer 2 or Free Agent and 
(3) Father 3 . I am not the Free Agent; it is my Divine Mother. 
I am only an humble instrument in Her hands. I for my part 
do not wish to lead a family life and be a father of children. 
I would much rather give all my time to God and minister 
unto Him — as manifest in all His creatures and not merely in 
the members in one particular human family. Again, God is 
our only spiritual guide. 

It is He alone Who will teach as Master. I for my part feel 
like a child which feeleth its weakness as soon as it cannot 

see its mother. 
God, the only Master Men as spiritual guides can be had by hun- 
dreds of thousands. Everybody is anxious to 
be master. How many are there who would care to be 
disciples? 

The task of a master teaching a disciple is very hard indeed. 
If the master has seen the Lord, if by Him he hath been 
_, „ , commissioned to teach, it is quite a different 

The Commissioned o • 1 XT 1 c 1 

Teacher matter, bo commissioned were iNarada, ouka- 

deva; also Sankaracharya. 
When thou art without such a commission, who will listen to 
thee? Thou knowest Calcutta and her fondness for the latest 
sensation. The milk in the kettle will, of course, puff up as 
soon as it is put upon the fire. But the pufhing will cease 
when the fire is withdrawn from under the kettle. The people 
of Calcutta are remarkably fond of sensations. They begin 
digging the well at one place ; but they will give it up as soon 
as they find that the earth is hard and strong. They then set 
to work digging at another place. The soil, suppose, is sandy 
there; they will as readily give up digging at that spot. They 
will then look for another locality. That is indeed the way 
of the people. Their good opinion is by no means worth 
having. 

1 Guru. 2 Karta. 3 Baba. 



1 14 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKR1SHNA 

Again, there are people who think a particular thought and 

believe it to be God's Commandment. Such an idea is quite 

„ „ . a mistaken one. One may look for God's 

What is (joa s direct r^ 1 f . T T • l 1 1 • 

Commandment? Commandment after seeing Him and talking 

with Him and not until then. God's Word! 
— What wonderful weight must It carry! A mountain may be 
moved by It. A lecture taken by itself hath no force what- 
ever, apart from God's direct Commandment. People may 
care for lectures, only for a short time; after which everything 
will escape from their memory. As to living up to the things 
taught — well, they will care even less for it! 

In that part of the country there is a tank called Haldar- 

pukur. People used to throw dirt round about the tank. 

Others that came there for washing purposes 

Making disciples and Qr fof morni ablutions called the offenders 

teaching without Divine • i l i • l n • 

Authority condemned names in loud, excited voice; but all in vain. 
The offence was repeated on the following 
morning. Upon this they sent word to the Municipal author- 
ities. A peon wearing a badge round his waist, came to make 
enquiries. He put up a notice to all concerned not to 'com- 
mit nuisance.' Wouldst thou believe it that the nuisance 
abated at once? (Laughter.) 

For the teaching of divine truths a badge of Authority is 
the one thing needful. Else, for a man to teach others — O, it 
would be ridiculous! To think that a person must teach who 
doth not know — that the blind must lead the blind! Thou 
shalt thus do greater evil than good! It is only when thou 
hast seen God that thou canst hope to see through other 
people and tell them what diseases (of the soul) they have 
been taken with. 

Thou must have the direct Commandment 2 of God. Else it 
would be asserting thyself to say, 'I teach' or 'I am the master 
and ye are my disciples.' Self-assertion is the offspring of 
Ignorance. One enjoyeth real freedom in this very world if 
one can but realize that God is the sole Actor in this world- 
system 8 and that we are only instruments in His hands. All 
trouble, all want of Peace, cometh of the notion 'I am the 
Lord — I am the Free Agent 4 .' 

1 Kamarpukur. 2 Adesha. 3 Jagat. 4 Karta. 



A ^RIP WITH KESHAB SEN 1 ! 5 

THE WESTERN IDEA OF WORK : IS WORK THE END OF LIFE 
OR A MEANS TO THE END ? 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Keshab and other devotees): — You talk 
glibly of doing good to the world. The world to which you 
desire to do good — is it contained in a nutshell? In the next 
place, who are ye, pray, to do good to the world? First go 
through devotional practices and see God. Then it is that 
Inspiration and powers 1 will come down to you and ye may 
talk of doing good. Not till then. 

A Brahma devotee: — Sir, dost thou mean to say that we are 
to give up all work until we have seen God? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — No, my dear Sir; why shalt thou give up 
all work? Meditation, the chanting of hymns, the repeating 
of His holy Name, and other devotional exercises thou must 
have to go through. 

Devotee: — Dost thou mean work connected with the world? 
Shall we then give up all worldly affairs? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Yes, thou mayst attend to them too; only 
so much as thou canst not do without, in order to live in this 
world. But thou shouldst at the same time pray unto the 
Lord with tears in thine eyes for His grace and for strength to 
do thy duties without expectation of any reward or fear of 
punishment in this world or the next. Say when thou prayest, 
'Lord, grant that my work in the world and for the world 
may grow less and less day by day. For I see that my work 
growing manifold only maketh me loose sight of Thee. 
Sometimes I think I do my duties remaining unattached to 
the world, but I know not how I deceive myself and do them 
through attachment instead. I do my alms and behold! I 
seek for fame, O, I know not how!' 

Sambhu (Mallik) talked of one's founding hospitals and 
dispensaries, schools and colleges; of building roads, sinking 
wells, and digging tanks for the good of all. 
The End of Life I said to him, 'Yes; but thou must be unat- 

tached while doing good to others; and thou 
must be careful to take up only such works as come in thy 
way — such works, again, as appear to be of a pressing neces- 
sity. Do not seek them — do not seek more work than thou 
canst well manage. If thou dost, thou wilt lose sight of the 
Lord. Go to the shrine of Kali, the Mother of the Universe; 

1 Siddhis. 



1 1 6 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

before thou seest the Holy of Holies, and on thy way to the 
shrine, thou mayst do thy alms. But if thou continuest thy 
charitable work until late in the evening when the doors of 
the temple have been closed upon all pilgrims, thou wilt not 
see the Mother. Clever people would first see the Holy 
Mother, pushing their way through the multitude that assem- 
bles at the gates of the temple; and after seeing Her they 
may turn their attention to almsgiving and other good works. 

First see God and then talk seriously of thy duties. 

What, thinkest thou, ought to be the end in view of those 
who go on performing their duties? Work or the performance 
of one's duty is the means and God is the end. Do not take 
the means for the end! So said I once to Sambhu. "Sup- 
pose," I said, "thou seest God, or God manifesteth Himself to 
thee; wilt thou then say to Him, 'Lord, do Thou grant that I 
may have lots of dispensaries and hospitals, and schools and 
colleges?' (Laughter.) No; they are wanted as long as thou 
art in the world — which is only transitory compared to Eternal 
Life. A true devetee shall rather pray in this wise: 'Grant, O 
good Lord, that I may have a niche in the Lotus of Thy Feet, 
that it may be my privilege to live always in Thy Holy Presence, 
and that I may have deep unalloyed devotion unto Thee.'" 

Hard, indeed, is work without attachment. It is hard in this 
materialistic age 1 to get through all the works — all the duties 
— laid upon us by the Sacred Books. Verily, 
thePathofDevZon" V& "J this age cometh out of food! Work 
and duties— O, there is hardly time enough 
for them! It will be all over with the patient suffering from 
the high fever of this world if he is allowed to go through the 
slow process of treatment practised by the old-fashioned Hindu 
physicians. People are short-lived and the fever carrieth one 
off in a few hours. The specific for the present day is Dr. 
Gupta's patent fever mixture. This produceth effect at once. 

Yes, in this age, the one means of realizing God is sincere 
devotion 2 to and love for Him — and earnest prayer, and the 
chanting of His holy Names and of His Divine Attributes. 

(To Keshab and other devotees): — Your path, too, lieth 
through devotion 3 and self-surrender to the Lord. Blessed are 
they who like you sing His Name. Your path is clear and 
rational. Ye cannot shake yourself free from egoism 4 ; thus it 
is proper for you not to go far like a Non-dualist and hold 

1 Kaliyuga. 2 Bhakti. 8 Bhakti-yoga. 4 Ahankara. 



A 'ZRIP WITH KESHAB SEN 1 17 

that 'God, the Absolute, is the only Reality and that the world 
is unreal like a dream.' Ye are not philosophers 1 but devo- 
tees 2 . Ye believe in a Personal God. That is right. Go on 
in this way. But have a yearning for the Lord and, depend 
upon it, ye shall see Him as a Reality! 

CHAPTER V. 

AT THE HOUSE OF A DISCIPLE 

The steamer has come back to Koyla Ghat (Calcutta). All 
on board hold themselves in readiness to land. Coming out of 
the cabin they see that fool moon has bathed the bosom of the 
Holy Ganges and the banks adjoining with her mellow light. 

The Master with two or three disciples including M. gets 
into a cab which is waiting for him on the shore. Nandalal, 
Keshab's nephew, also gets in. He wishes to go with the 
Master some distance. 

When all have seated themselves in the cab Sri Rama- 
krishna saith, "Where is he?" meaning Keshab. In a few 
moments Keshab cometh up smiling, and saying, "Who are 
the persons that are going with him?" Being satisfied with the 
answer, he boweth down before the Master, who affectionately 
bids him adieu. 

The cab has set out. It is that part of the town where the 
English live; beautiful well-watered streets on both sides with 
beautiful mansions! It is the full moon. The splendid palatial 
buildings seem to repose under the soft, serene light. Near 
the gates are gas-lights; within are brightly illuminated rooms; 
the sweet sound of music reaches the ear, evidently from 
songs sung to the accompaniment of harmoniums or pianos 
by European ladies. 

The Master is filled with the joy of the Lord as the carriage 
drives along. Suddenly he saith, "I am thirsty; what is to be 
done?" Nandalal stops the carriage before the gates of the 
India Club and goes upstairs to fetch water. Water is brought 
in a glass tumbler. The Master smiling asks, "Is the glass 
well washed?" Nandalal says, 'Yes.' The Master drinks 
from the glass. 

He is child-like in his simplicity. He putteth forward his 
face to look at the various objects on both sides. His joy 

1 Vedantists or Jnanis. 2 Bhaktas. 



1 18 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

knoweth no bounds as he seeth men, animals, carriages, 
houses, the moon-light, the lighted streets! 

Nandalal alights at Colutola. The cab comes to a stop 
before the door of Suresh Mitra's house. Suresh is very much 
attached to the Master, but he is not at home. He has gone 
to visit a newly purchased garden at Kankurgachi. 

His people open a room on the ground-floor and invite the 
party to be seated there. 

The cab fare is to be paid. Who is to pay it? Had Suresh 
been at home, he would have paid it. The Master saith to a 
disciple, "Ask the ladies of the house for the fare. I suppose 
they know well enough that their husbands and lords are in 
the habit of coming to our place." (Laughter.) 

Narendra (Vivekananda) lives in the same neighborhood, so 
the Master sends for him. Meanwhile the inmates of the house 
have led him upstairs into the drawing-room. 
the M^ter ° The matting of the floor is covered with a car- 

pet and a white sheet. Three or four bolsters 
are lying about. On the walls there hangs a beautiful oil- 
painting which Suresh means to be a picture of the Harmony of 
All Religions. In that painting Sri Ramakrishna is represented 
as pointing out to Keshab that all religions lead to one Goal, 
viz., God — be it Hinduism, Mahomedanism, Buddhism, Christi- 
anity on the one hand, or their various sects on the other. 

He talketh with smiles on his lips when Narendra cometh 
up. His joy is redoubled. He saith smiling to Narendra as 
he talketh, "We enjoyed such a pleasant trip on board the 
steamer with Keshab Sen. Bejoy also was there and many of 
those present here." Pointting to M. he saith, "Thou mayst 
ask M. how I said to Keshab and Bejoy about the mother and 
daughter both observing the 'fast on Tuesday' — each for the 
welfare of her own, and how God's sports in this world would 
suffer for want of nourishment in the absence of obstructives 
like Jatilla and Kutilla!' 

(To M.): — "Was this not so, M.?" 

M. replied, "Quiet so, Revered Sir." 

It is getting late. But Suresh has not come back as yet. The 
Master will go back to the Temple-garden at Dakshineshwara. 
It is about half-past ten and he must leave for the garden. 

The streets are flooded with moonlight. The cab is at the 
door. 1 he Master getteth in. Narendra and M., each boweth 
down low to the Master and goeth back unto his own house. 



SECTION V. 

1883 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA WITH KESHAB CHANDRA SEN 
AT LILY COTTAGE 

CHAPTER I. 
THE DIVINE MOTHER AND HER MANIFESTATIONS 

"He looketh for Thee with a yearning heart as Thou 
comest." — Song by Joydeva. 

It was after 2 P. M. on the 28th of November, 1 883, that a 
young man could be seen walking up and down the footpath 
of the Circular Road before Lily Cottage. The footpath runs 
close to the cottage north and south. 

Lily Cottage is south of Mangalbari — a locality where the 
Brahma devotees belonging to Keshab's Samaj have settled. 
Here Keshab lives with his family. But Keshab is very ill — 
his friends say that there is little chance of his getting well. 

Sri Ramakrishna loves Keshab. He will come to-day to 
see him. He has by this time left the Temple at Dakshine- 
shwara for Calcutta. It is thus that this young man, his dis- 
ciple, paces up and down the footpath and watches for his 
beloved Master. Carriages come to view one after another 
and every time he looks up to see if he is coming. 

He will wait. He watches the passers-by. He looks on 
the building opposite — the Victoria College, where Brahma 
girls and Brahma ladies receive instruction. North of the 
College building is a garden-house, the residence of an English 
gentleman. The young man has this house also in full view 
before him. 

All is not right there. As he observes for a long time, there 
is hurrying to and fro amongst the inmates of the house; and 
their looks are sad. Presently come on the scene the ominous 
hearse and the drivers and servants dressed in black: they 
wear the livery of Death, for it is He Who hath visited at the 
house: a spirit hath passeth away: the human soul hath left 
this body of clay! It came into this world out of Eternity It 
hath left the world ! 

"Whither?" saith the disciple to himself as he walketh up 
and down. "Whither doth the soul pass as it leaveth this 
world? — verily it is raised out of Eternity unto Eternity!" 



1 20 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKR1SHNA 

Carriages rattle away before him. He lifteth his eyes; but 
he hath not come. 

It is five in the afternoon. The Master hath come up. Latoo 
and two or three other disciples are with him. Rakhal and 
M. are also there. 

He is received by Keshab's people and is led upstairs. In 
the corridor that runs south of the drawing-room, the Master 
hath taken his seat. 

THE MASTER IN SAMADHI 

He hath been waiting for a long time. He will see Keshab 
who is lying ill in the inner apartments. He getteth impa- 
tient. But Keshab is just taking a little rest in the midst of his 
great sufferings; so his people say — with great humility. He 
will come and see the Master soon. 

Keshab has been taken seriously ill. Hence his disciples 
are so careful about him. Sri Ramakrishna however getteth 
more and more impatient to see him. He appealeth to 
Keshab's disciples — Prasanna, Amritta and others. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Keshab's disciples): — Well, there is no 
need of his coming here. Let me go in and see him. 

Prasanna (humbly): — Sir, kindly wait one moment; he will 
be here presently. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — O dear, it is ye who are standing in the 
way: how I long to see him! 

Prasanna talks about Keshab to turn his attention. 

Prasanna:— Sir, a great change hath come over him. Like 

thyself he is often found talking unto the Divine Mother! 

Like thyself he is often found talking unto the 

Talking with the j^.^ MotKer! Like th lf he heareth Her 

Mother , . 1 1 l i i 

voice and sometimes sheddeth tears! 

Doth Keshab talk to the Divine Mother and smile and cry 
like a child? The good news is too much for the Master. 
He loseth all sense-consciousness and passeth into the state 
of Samadhi! 

There is this God-intoxicated man seated motionless like a 
statue. It being cold weather he hath on a coat made of 
green Cashmere. He is seated with folded hands. His body 
is erect. His eyes move not. Deep in Samadhi! He conti- 
nueth in this state for a long time. No sign that this unique 
state of Divine Ecstasy is going to leave him! 



WITH KESHAB SEN AT LILY COTTAGE 121 

It is evening. They have lighted the drawing-room. He is 
returning to the sense-world. They are trying to take him 
into that room. 

He is seated on a couch — with cushion chairs and couches 
and mirrors on all sides — in the lighted room. But the state 
of God-consciousness hath not entirely left him. He smileth 
like one who hath been drinking. He looketh on the couches 
and cushioned chairs, mirrors and the rest. He talketh to 
himself and to his Divine Mother! 

Sri Ramakrishna (at the sight of couches, etc.): — These were of 
use, indeed, sometime back! But now? — They are of little use. 

Doth the Master see with his inner vision that Keshab's 
hour was come and that he would depart out of this world 

unto his Divine Mother? 
lLoZlyZ the Soul He 1 looketh at Rakhal a young disciple, and 
saith with fondness, Rakhal, is it thou? 

He talketh to the Divine Mother, saying, "Here Thou 
art, O Mother! How beautifully dressed Thou art! Do not 
trouble, O Mother! but take Thou Thy seat!" 

The Brahma devotees have filled the room by this time. 
His disciples, Latoo, Rakhal, M., are seated near him. He 
talketh on the Immortality of the Soul. Doth he see with a 
clear vision that Keshab's soul must pass away? Saith he — 
"The Body and the Soul! The body hath a beginning. It 
must have an end. The body must die. The soul dieth not!" 

"The soul standeth apart from the body. Until one seeth 
God, one cannot help believing that the soul is the same as 
the body. The idea clingeth to the Ignorant — to him who 
hath not seen God. To the Knowing One it is plain that the 
soul is not the same as the body." 

"The shell of the unripe betelnut adhereth to the nut. It is 
so hard to part the one from the other. Such is not the case 
with the ripe nut. The shell doth not adhere to it; the nut is 
felt rolling inside, if shaken." 

Who is it that now enters the room? A figure made of skin 
and bones — a veritable spectre coming on towards the Mas- 
ter! He holds on to the wall for support! He comes near 
the couch. He falls down at the hallowed feet of Sri Rama- 
krishna, who is now seated on the carpeted floor and is still 
in a state of divine consciousness. The figure before him is 
Keshab, or rather the wreck of him who was once Keshab, 
the hero of a hundred platforms, the observed of all observers, 



1 22 GOSPEL OF SRI C RAMAKRISHNA 

the idol of Young Bengal, the god-like figure whose very 
presence was so often inspiring as he sat conducting divine 
service in the Brahma-Samaj and poured out his soul like a 
child in prayer to the Divine Mother — in words never to be 
forgotten — so forceful, so earnest, so sweet, so charming! 

Still in a state of ecstasy! He looketh on Keshab as on one 
he knoweth not. Keshab is seated and saith aloud, "Here 
_ . , _ ,--■ am I, Sir! Here am I!" Keshab softly stroketh 

God the Primal Divine 1 • i r . i i 

Energy: GoJ-in-Man £ 1S left hand ' , , , ^ , 

But no return to the sense-world! Drunken 
deep at the Fountain of Immortal Bliss! A little while and he 
talketh to himself — like one gone mad! Is this the madness 
of Divine Love? Saith he: — 

So. long as I do not have a knowledge of my True Self, so 
long as the Reality getteth out of sight behind semblances 1 I 
have a perception of many things and persons 
The Omnipotent Energy — as Keshab, Amritta, Prasanna. Perfect 
knowledge is knowledge of One-ness — of 
One only Reality behind the 'many things' — One God behind 
the phenomenal Universe. 

The Knowing One seeth again that this Reality — this 
Universal Soul — hath differentiated Itself into living beings 
and the world— in short, into the twenty-four categories of the 
philosopher. 

Only it is Divine Energy 2 which manifesteth Itself more or 
less everywhere. The One Soul hath indeed differentiated 
Itself into many things; but in some the Mani- 
Ja%lstJthns fested Energy is greater, in some, less. Vidya- 

sagar asked, 'Is it a fact that the powers given 
us by God are greater in the case of some and less in the case 
of others? Is God partial?' I answered, 'If that were not the 
case how is it that one man is a match for ten, nay, some- 
times for fifty? If that were not the case again, how is it that 
we have come here all the way from Dakshineshwara to see 
thee? Inequality is a fact in God's creation and must have a 
;,. '_ deep meaning. It certainly doth not prove 

Special Manifestation : .1 . /"> 1 • . • 1 » 

The Divine Incarnation ™ at . Go( ? 1S P^tial. 

He in whom the divinity or the Lord is mani- 
fested possesseth powers far greater than those of anybody else. 
The rich man may have many houses to live in. But he 
may be generally met in a certain drawing-room — of which he 

HJpadhi. 2 Shakti. 



WITH KESHAB SEN AT LILY COTTA GE 1 23 

is especially fond. The soul of him who loveth the Lord is a 
Drawing-room of the Lord. Unto it there come down special 
powers from the Most High. 

Do ye ask, what are the signs of such a person? Well, 
these are great works wrought by him in the Name of the 
Lord. Verily they are the fruit of great powers. 

This Primal Divine Energy 1 or God the Creator is the same 
as God the Absolute 2 . One cannot be thought of without the 
other being suggested. The refulgence (of 
J gU the MotL?™ tlie % ern ) cannot De thought of without the 
gem being suggested; nor can the gem be 
thought of without its lustre being suggested. Take again the 
snake and its tortuous motion; the one cannot be thought of 
without the other idea being called up. 

The identity of God the Absolute and God the Creator can- 
not be made perfectly clear by means of words. Reasoning 
by analogy only throws some light on it. 

Now, God (the Creator), my Divine Mother, hath manifested 
Herself as the twenty-four categories of the philosopher. It is 
a case of Involution and Evolution 3 . In Her were involved 
the Human Soul 4 and the External World 5 . These have been 
gradually evolved out of Her. Why do I yearn to see Rakhal, 
Narendra (Vivekananda) and other young men) They have 
not as yet touched the world — they have not touched 'Lust 
and Gold.' Verily the Divine Mother is revealed in the flesh 
— the Unmanifested Energy hath manifested Herself in the 
form of this world and markedly in these human forms! 

Hazra indeed often taketh me to task saying, "Why goest 
thou about to think of these young men. I wonder what thou 
art going to do to give thy mind to God!" (Here Keshah and 
others laugh.) 

Well, Hazra's words did set me thinking seriously of the 

matter. I prayed unto the Divine Mother, saying, "Mother, is 

all this true that Hazra saith? Am I indeed 

t P 7h?Mo?hef- at ur7 losin 2 si ^ llt of T nee? " Wel l> I also asked 
, c ,,V r T™ Bholanath; and it was he who assured me 

souls lirte Ivarenara iiR/fiii li 

untouched by the world that the Mahabharata made the matter quite 
clear. It is pointed out there that a person in 
Samadhi who seeth God hath nothing in this unreal, phenome- 
nal world for his mind to rest upon. He, therefore, cannot 
help seeking the company of pure souls who have a love for 

1 Adya-Shakti. 2 Brahman. 3 Anulom and Vilom. 4 Jiva. 5 Jagat. 



124 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

God and who do not love 'Lust and Gold.' This dictum of 
the Mahabharata at once relieved my mind. It was to me 
much as a precedent is to a suitor bofore a court of justice. 
(Laughter.) 

Hazra is not to blame. Until God is seen one must reason 
saying, 'Not this, not this,' i. e., God is a Being who abideth 
quite apart from either Man or Nature. It is quite otherwise 
who hath seen God. He realizeth the fact of Involution and 
of Evolution 1 — that the phenomenal world and the human 
soul were involved in God the Absolute and that they are the 
forms in which He manifesteth Himself — forms which have 
been evolved out of Himself. To get the butter as a distinct 
object one putteth aside the butter-milk: in the end one can- 
not help realizing that as for the butter-milk the butter is its 
own: and that as for the butter the butter-milk is its own: the 
two are correlated. Yes, Man and Nature are His manifesta- 
tions^ — only in some created things He manifesteth Himself in 
a greater degree than in others. 

The more is the love of God deepened in the human soul 
after realization, the easier it becometh to feel His presence in 
all things. Until a flood causes the river to overflow thou must 
follow its round-about course in order to reach the sea. After 
the flood there is deep water on land itself and thou mayst 
row from any point to the sea, straight as the crow flieth. 

After the harvest hath been reaped one need not any longer 
go round along the balk — one may walk straight to any point 
over the fields. 

He who hath once realized Him seeth that the Lord mani- 
festeth Himself in all things. Above all, He revealeth Himself 
in man — more specially in those pure souls 
thirL'v^seen God ■ who are of themselves fixed upon God and 
are turned away from the little things of this 
world — turned away from 'Lust and Gold.' {Perfect silence.) 

It is indeed hard for a man who cometh down from Samadhi 
and hath seen God, to give his mind to the little things of this 
world. Hence he seeketh the company of such pure souls, for 
they have not touched the world and the things that the world 
can give — money, honors, titles, power, sensual pleasures. 

The Divine Mother is the same as God the Absolute. 
When thought of as Inactive He is called the Absolute 2 . 
When again, He is thought of as Active — as Creating, Pre- 

1 Anulom and Vilom. 2 Brahman or Purusha. 



WITH KESHAB SEN AT LILY CO TTA GE 1 25 

serving and Destroying — then the Being is called the Divine 
Energy or the Divine Mother 1 . The Absolute expressed in 
terms of the Relative is the same as the Divine 
Moth7hoo7ofCod te ' Mother— the same as God the Father The 
rather leaveth the management or the house- 
hold to the mother. The mother receiveth all her power and 
authority from the father. Thou canst not think of God (the 
Absolute) behind the Universe without thinking of the God of 
the Universe, the Divine Mother. The thought of the One 
must call up to you the thought of the Other. 

The thought of the Male Principle in the Universe must 
suggest to you the thought of the Female Principle; and the 
thought of the Female Principle must suggest to you the 
thought of the Male. One that understandeth what is 'Father,' 
doth also understand what is 'Mother.' (Keshab laughs.) 

One that hath a sense of darkness hath also a sense of light, 
its correlative. One that knoweth the meaning of night 
knoweth also the meaning of day, its correlative. One that 
hath a feeling of joy hath also a feeling of grief, its correlative. 
Dost thou see this? 

Keshab (smiling): — Yes, Sir, I do. 

Sri Ramal^rishna: — What Mother do I mean? The Mother 
of the Universe — She Who doth create and doth preserve — 
She Who protecteth Her children always from evil and 
teacheth them how to live in the world and how again to 
obtain Liberation and True Knowledge. A true child cannot 
live apart from the mother. He knoweth not anything — but 
his mother knoweth everything. The child only getteth his 
meat out of his mother's hands and roameth about in play. 
He casteth all his cares upon the mother, 

Keshab: — That is quite true, Sir. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE LAST WORDS WITH KESHAB SEN 

By this time Sri Ramakrishna hath come down to the sense- 
world. The company assembled in the drawing-room eagerly 
watcheth him as he talketh smiling with Keshab. Strange, 
that neither Keshab nor the Master saith, 'How dost thou do?' 
or 'How dost thou feel?' No words are spoken but those 
about God alone. 

1 Shakti or Prakriti. 



126 GOSPEL OF SRI HAMAKRISHNA 

Sri Ramak'rishna (to Keshab): — The members of the Brahma- 
Samaj — why do they dwell so much upon the glory of God's 
Works? 'O Lord, Thou hast made the sun, Thou hast made 
the moon, Thou hast made the stars.' Why do you dwell so 
much upon these things? Many are there that are charmed 
with the beauty of the garden — its glorious flowers and 
sweetest odors — few seek the Lord of the Garden! Which is 
the greater of the two — the garden or its Lord? Verily the 
garden is unreal so long as Death stalketh in our midst; but 
the Lord of the Garden is the one Reality! 

After having taken a few glasses at the bar of a tavern, who 
careth to enquire how many tons the liquors in the barrels that 
are there for sale weigh? A single bottle sumceth for one. 

At the sight of Narendra I am drunken with joy. Never 
have I asked him, 'Who is thy father?' or 'How many houses 
hath he got of his own?' 

Men do value their own goods; they value money, houses, 
furniture : hence they think that the Lord would view His own 
works — the sun, moon, stars — in the same light! Men think 
He would be glad if they spoke highly of His works. 

Sambhu (Mallik) once said, 'Sir, do thou bless me that I 
may die leaving all my wealth at the hallowed Feet of the 
Divine Mother.' I replied, 'What dost thou speak? It is all 
wealth to thee! To the Divine Mother it is no better than the 
dust over which thou walkest.' 

There was once a theft committed in the Temple of Vishnu 
— the thief had stolen the jewels that adorned the Divine 
Images. 

Mathoor (Manager of the Temple and son-in-law of Rani 
Rashmani) and myself went up there to see what was the 
matter. Mathoor cried out saying, 'Thou, God, hast no worth! 
They took away all Thy jewels, but Thou wert unable to do 
anything!' Upon this I said to him sharply, 'How foolish it is 
of thee that thou talkest in this strain! The jewels of which 
thou speakest are as good as lumps of clay to the Lord of the 
Universe Whom thou worshippest in this Image! Remember, 
it is from Him that the Goddess of Fortune deriveth all power!' 

Doth the Lord care for all the wealth that one may offer to 
Him? O, no. His grace lighteth on him alone who can offer 
Love 1 and Devotion. What alone He valueth is such Love 
and Non-attachment 2 and Renunciation 3 for His sake. 

1 Bhakti. 2 Viveka. 3 Vairagya. 



WITH KESHAB SEN AT LILY COTTAGE 127 

One's idea of God varieth with the way in which one's 

nature is made up. One man 1 is fond of meat and offereth 

animals in sacrifice unto his God. Another 2 

Various Classes cfthei.ii- • j . j . . i • 1 1_ • 

, f r a hath his mind turned to many things, and his 

Lovers of God . . & 1 '• l a 

orrerings to his Liod are or many kinds. A 
third man 3 liketh not to make a show of his worship to the 
world. He offereth flowers, leaves of the Bael tree and the 
holy Ganges water. He offereth the plainest things — sweet 
cakes 4 , or a preparation 5 of milk, rice and sugar. 

There is yet another class 6 of worshippers. They are like 
children. Their soul is unattached to the elements 7 that go to 
form their body and mind. Their worship consisteth purely 
in believing in the Name of the Lord and repeating it with 
devotion. Yes, the Name of the Lord alone and nothing else ! 

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling to Keshab):— Thou art ill; well, 

there is a deep meaning in that. There hath passed through 

thy body many a devotional feeling that 

The Lord's Hospital see k et h me Lord: thy sickness beareth wit- 

and the 1 reatment , f ,. ,-^f , , , , 

of the Soul ness to those reelings. Ur the havoc done by 

them to the system one can form no idea at 
the time they arise. 

A ship goeth past over the Ganges but nobody, attendeth to 
it. A little while after the big waves are found beating upon 
the bank and sometimes washing away portions of it. 

An elephant entering into a hut soon maketh it totter to its 
foundations and at last pulleth it down. The love for the 
Lord is in its greatness like the elephant. It very often pulleth 
down the frail house of clay called the human body. 

When a house is set on fire, some of the things inside are 
first burnt up ; then the house is taken up as a whole by the fire 
and burnt. Much the same thing cometh to pass when God 
is seen. The fire of God-vision first burneth up the various 
passions — Lust, Anger, etc.; — then the false ego which saith, I 
am the Doer (Lord); and, lastly, the whole house, viz., the body. 

Thou mayst think that the Lord's Will is done. But no: the 
physician leaveth not the patient until he is made perfectly 
whole. Thy name hath been entered as a patient in the hos- 
pital books and thou canst not get away unless thou art 'seen 
cured' by the physician in charge (the Doctor Saheb). Why 
didst thou suffer thy name to be so entered? (Laughter.) 

1 Tamo-guni. 2 Rajo-guni. 3 Sattva-guni. 4 Battasa. 5 Payas. 6 Gunatita Bhaktas. 
7 The Three Gunas. 



128 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Keshab goeth into a fit of laughter at the Master's reference 
to the Lord's Hospital. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Keshab): — Hriday used to say, "Never 
have I witnessed such Love of God — and such illness, too, 
joined to it," I was at the time taken very ill with diarrhoea 
of a rather severe type. It then seemed as if myriads of ants 
had been eating into my brain. But the words that I used to 
speak were all concerning the Lord. Ram of the village 
Natagore, a Hindu physician, finding me — when he called — 
in the midst of a homily, said, "Hath this man really gone out 
of his wits, that he goeth on talking like that with a body 
made of mere skin and a couple of bones!" 

Master (to Keshab): — Everything is ordered by Her Will. 
Thou doest Thy Will alone, O Mother Divine! Thou doest 
Thy Own work, but foolish man taketh all the credit to him- 
self, saying, 'It is I that have done it.' 

The gardener knoweth well how to deal with the common 
rose; and also with the rose Bussora which is of a superior 
type. As for the latter, he cleareth the soil 
The Divine Gardener round about its roots to give it the benefit of 
the night dew. The dew addeth freshness 
and strength. to the plant. It may be that the same is the case 
with thee. The Divine Gardener knoweth how to deal with 
thee. He diggeth round about thee to the very roots, to the 
end that the dew of His Inspiration shall fall on thee and 
thou shalt be purer, stronger than before; and thy work even 
greater and more abiding than ever. 

Whenever I hear that thou art ill, my heart is sore troubled. 

The last time that thou wast unwell, I used to wake up during 

the last part of the night and cry unto my 

J k Lor h d l Prayer Divine Mother, saying, 'O Mother, if it be 

for Keshab » J =" ' 

that anything evil come upon Reshab, with 
whom shall I converse about Thee when I shall come to Cal- 
cutta?' Coming to Calcutta I presented offerings of food and 
sugar, to the Divine Mother, praying to Her earnestly for thy 
weal. I had made a vow to make these offerings to Her. 

All present look with wonder and amazement at the Master; 
— thinking of the depth of his unspeakable love for Keshab. 
He continueth: — 

To speak the truth, my anxiety for thee during thy present 
illness hath not been as intense as it was on former occasion. 

It has been, however, a little for the last two or three days. 



WITH KESHAB SEN AT LILY COTTA GE 1 29 

At the door leading from the east into the drawing-room 
stood Keshab's venerable mother. 

Umanath saith in a loud voice to the Master, "Sir, here is 
mother bowing down to thee." 

The Master smileth. Umanath continueth saying, "Sir, 
mother asketh thee to bless him so that he may soon get 
well." The Master replieth, "Let thy prayers 
theD^Mother' ' be offered up to the Divine Mother Who is 
made up of Bliss Everlasting. She it is Who 
removeth all troubles — all the ills that flesh is heir to." Speak- 
ing to Keshab, again, the Master saith, — 

"It would be better for thee not to stay in the inner apart- 
ments for long hours. With women and children round about 
. thee thou runnest the risk of sinking in the 

to Keshab " sea °^ Ignorance and of losing sight of the 

Lord. Thou shalt feel better if words about 
the Lord are spoken unto thee by thy friends." 

Solemnly doth the Master utter these words. Presently he 
passeth into the state of a veritable Child from that of a 
serious Teacher. He smileth and saith to Keshab, "Let me 
look at thy hand." He taketh it up on the palm of his own 
hand and gently tosseth it up and down as if he were going 
to find its weight. At last he saith, " No it is all right, thy hand 
is light enough; it is only the hand of those that think evil 
and do evil that are not so. {Laughter.) 

"Mother ordereth everything. But foolish man, who now is 
and the next moment goeth out of sight into eternity, seeketh 
to take all the credit unto himself! 

"It is on two different occasions that the Lord smileth. Once 
when He findeth two brothers dividing with a rope the land 
left by their father, and saying, 'This is mine and that is thine!' 
He smileth, saying, 'The fools call the land their own not 
knowing that the universe is Mine.' 

"Once again doth the Lord smile. The child is dangerously 
ill and the physician saith to the weeping mother, 'Fear not, 
mother. I take upon myself to see that thy child getteth well.' 
The fool of a physician knoweth not that it is the Lord that 
slayeth and no human power will be able to save! (Absolute 
silence.)" 

A fit of cough cometh upon Keshab. It lasteth for a long 
time. The suffering of the venerable patient toucheth the 
heart of everybody present. All look for the end of the fit 



130 GOSPEL OF SRI 'RAMAKRISHNA 

with bated breath. The suffering hath been great indeed! 
And Keshab must leave the room and go back to his sick 
bed. He falleth down at the feet of the Master and boweth 
down with his head touching the ground. 

Keshab goeth out of the room into his own chamber, hold- 
ing to the wall as before. 



They have asked Sri Ramakrishna to take some sweetmeats 
before he leaveth for the Temple at Dakshineshwara. He is 
talking with the company present. Keshab's eldest son is 
seated by his side. 

Amrita saith, "This is his eldest son. Wilt thou be so kind 
as to give him thy blessings?" Amrita watcheth the Master 
_, ■ „, . gently stroking the person of the young man. 

The Divine Mother to tj . i • hq- . 1x ^ .1 . .1 

bless: -none else ™ Sait " a g ain > ^ ir » Wnt tn OU not put thy 

hand upon his head and bless." The Master 
replieth, "It is not given to me to bless. It is for the Divine 
Mother to do so. All blessings come from Her." 

He smileth, and continueth fonding the boy as before. 
Speaking of Keshab, the Master goeth on saying to Amrita 
and other Brahma devotees, all disciples of Keshab: — 

"It is not given to me to say of a person, 'Let him be healed/ 
Of my Divine Mother I never asked such power. My con- 
stant prayer is, 'O Mother, do Thou grant that 
The Lord's Prayer I may have Bhakti — pure, sincere love un- 
mixed with worldly desires of any kind, e. g., 
the weal of the body, pleasure, money, fame, etc' Never 
have I asked of Her the power of doing such miracles as the 
healing of diseases. 

"How great is Keshab — honored alike by men of the world 
that seek for wealth and by holy men that seek for the love 

of God. 
k s J ma t i°j- e !/ a I once met Dayananda in a garden house. 

before the disciples y . . =» . . 

He expected rveshab on that day and was 
asking everybody if Keshab had come up. In his yearning 
for Keshab he frequently left his room to make enquiries. 

"Dayananda called the Bengali language Gouranda Bhasha. 

"Keshab, I suppose, did not believe in the Vedic gods and 
the efficacy of the Vedic sacrificial fire 1 . So Dayananda had 

1 Homa. 



WITH KESHAB SEN AT LILY CO TTA GE 131 

said, 'The Lord hath made so many things; could He not 
make the gods as well?'" 

The Master speaketh highly of Keshab before his disciples 
and saith: — 

"Keshab is free from the vulgar pride of the preceptor 1 who 

cometh in his own name. Very often hath he said to many 

of his disciples, 'Go ye to the Temple at 

Fame for the Master Dakshineshwara where ye will have your 

doubts solved.' It is my way also to say, 'Let 

Keshab increase a million-fold.' What shall I do with fame? 

"Yes, Keshab is great — honored alike by men of the world 

and by holy men who seek God alone." 

The refreshment over, he will now leave for the Temple. 
The Brahma devotees have stepped downstairs with him to 
see him off. 

Coming downstairs the Master observeth that there is no 
light on the ground floor at the foot of the stairs. He saith to 
Amrita and others, "All these places should 
MothJrTnour homes be lighted, for the Divine Mother abideth in 
every house. Such an omission leadeth to 
poverty. See that such an omission doth not take place 
again." 

With two or three disciples Sri Ramakrishna set out in a 
cab on his way back to the Temple. 

1 Guru. 



SECTION VI. 

1883 

A DAY WITH SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT THE TEMPLE 
AT DAKSHINESHWARA 

CHAPTER I. 

The 19th of August, 1883 is a Sunday, and the first day 
after the full moon. So the devotees have leisure to come 
and see their beloved Master at Dakshineshwara, at the 
Temple of the Mother 1 of the Universe, the Consort of the 
Spirit of Eternity. Everyone has free access. He talks with 
everybody who comes. His visitors are from all classes of 
people — Sannyasins, Paramahamsas; Hindus, Christians and 
Brahmas; Shaktas, Vaishnavas and Saivas; men as well as 
women. Glory be unto Rani Rashmani, whose goodness has 
erected this noble Temple where people are coming to see 
and worship this God-Man. 

It is noon. The Master is seated upon the smaller bed- 
stead in his room. He has taken a little rest after breakfast. 
Here M. comes and salutes him, falling at his hallowed feet. 
He bids him sit down and kindly enquires about the welfare 
of himself and family. A short while and the Master begins 
to talk with him upon the Vedanta. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.): — Well, the Ashtavakra Samhita 
deals with the knowledge of Self. The knowers of Self 
declare, 'I am He,' i. e., 'I am that Highest Self.' This is the 
view of all the Sannyasins belonging to the Vedantic school. 
But it is not meet that a man of the world should hold such a 
view. Such a man does everything, and how at the same 
time can he be that Highest Self, God the Absolute, who is 
beyond all action? 

The Vedantists hold that the Self has no attachment to 
anything. Pleasure, pain, virtue, vice, etc., can never affect 
the Self in any way, but they do affect men who think that 
their soul is the same as the body. 

Smoke can blacken only the wall but not the space through 
which it curls up. 

There was a certain devotee, named Krishnakishore, who 
used to say that he was a mere void 2 , or empty space. He 

IKali. 2Kha. 



SRI <RAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA 133 

meant to say that he was the same as the Highest Self or God 
the Absolute, Who is sometimes likened to empty Space 
because nothing can be predicated of Him. A true devotee, 
he had some right to say so. As for others it doth not lie in 
their mouth to give out such an idea. 

But it is good for everyone to cherish the idea that he is 
free. 'I am free, I am free;' if a man constantly says this, he 
is sure to be free. On the other hand, he who always thinketh 
that he is in bondage bringeth bondage, indeed, on himself in 
the end. 

The weak-minded man who always saith, 'I am a sinner, I 
am a sinner,' is sure to have a fall. A man should rather say, 
'I repeat the holy Name of God, how can there be any sin in 
me or the bondage of the world?' 

Then turning towards M. he saith, "To-day my mind is not 
at ease. I hear from Hridaya* that he has been ailing much. 
Is this anxiety due to attachment 2 or to the feeling of charity 3 ?" 

M. did not know what to say in reply. M. remained silent. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Dost thou know what is Maya? Love 
towards one's own father, mother, brother, sister, wife, chil- 
. _ . dren, nephew, niece, etc., is called Maya; 

Love 2 - to one s own and 11*. 1 ■ 111* m 

Love* to all, or Charity and chanty means loving all beings. Now, 
what is this, my anxiety, due to? Attach- 
ment or charity? 

But Hridaya did a great deal to me. 

He served me much. He never hesitated to do all sorts of 
menial services for me. But he proved a scourge in the end ; 
so much so that unable to stand such treatment once I went 
to the rampart 4 to die by throwing myself into the Ganges 
flowing below. But let that go; my mind will be set at rest if 
now he gets some money. 

Now, whom am I to ask for money? Who cares to make 
an appeal to the Babus for this purpose? 

At two or three o'clock in the afternoon, two of his disciples, 
Adhar and Balaram, came in. They prostrated themselves 
before him and took their seats. They asked how he was 

1 Akasha. 2 Maya. 3 Daya. 4 Posta. 

* Hridaya Mukerjee was an old servant of Sri Ramakrishna and served him for upwards 
of twenty years at the Temple of Dakshineshwara, f. e., till 1881 . He was a remote nephew 
of his. His birthplace was the village of Siore in the district of Hugh. This village is five 
miles away from Kamarpukur, the birthplace of the Master. He breathed his last towards 
the end of April, 1899, in his own native village. Hridaya is the pet abbreviation of his 
name used by the Master. 



1 34 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

doing. The Master replied, "Well, my body is all right; not 
so is the mind." He did not mention anything about Hri-| 
daya's illness. 

CHAPTER II. 

In the course of conversation when the talk was about the 
Goddess Singhavahini (the Goddess seated upon a lion) wor- 
shipped by the Mallick family of Barabazar, he said, "Once I 
went to see the Goddess. She was staying with a certain 
family at Chashadhopapara, a district in Calcutta. The house 
was almost a deserted one. The family had become very 
poor. In some places there were filth and dirt lying about. 
In others mosses could be found growing. The cement upon 
the wall was crumbling down, brickdust and sand dropped 
slowly from the walls. Other houses belonging to the Mal- 
licks are very neat and clean, but this was not so." 

Then turning towards M. he said, "Well, can you explain 
why this was the case?" 

Unable to explain, M. remained silent. 

Sri Ramaf\rishna : — The thing is, every one must reap the 
fruit of his past actions, We should believe in the inherited 
tendencies 1 , etc. 

"One thing I saw in that deserted house," resumed he, 

turning towards M., "viz., that the face of the Goddess was 

beaming with glory. We should believe in 

The Divine Presence .1 rv • O • rii* ..II C 

in Images tne ^ ivine presence mulling the Images or 

the Deity." 

"I went to Vishnupura," continued he. "The Raja has 
several fine temples. In one of the temples there is the Image 
named Mrinmayi. A big tank is before the temple." 

(To M.) But how is it that I smelt in the tank water the 
spices that females used with a view to perfume their hair? 
I did not know that they offered such spices to the Goddess 
when they went to worship Her. When near the tank and I 
had not seen Her Image, I saw Her Divine Form up to Her 
waist in Samadhi. The Mother of the Universe appeared to 
me in Samadhi in the form of Mrinmayi. 

By this time other devotees arrived. The talk then turned 
on the Kabul war, and the civil war that came after. One of 
the devotees gave the news that Yakub Khan had been 

1 Law of Karma. 



SRI TiAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA 135 

deposed from the throne. He said, "Sir, Yakub Khan is a 
great devotee!" 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Well, pleasure and pain, happiness and 
misery, are things that one cannot separate from the body. 
We read in Kabi Kankan's "Chandi" that 
EvLZrZZtees Kalubira, a great devotee, was shut up in jail. 

They placed a heavy stone upon his breast. 
But Kalu was a highly-favored child of the Mother of the 
Universe! 

The fact is, pleasure and pain, happiness and misery, come 
with the body. 

How great a devotee was Srimanta! How fondly did the 
Divine Mother love his mother Khullana! But what an 
amount of trouble he had to go through! They took him to 
the scaffold to be executed. 

A woodman — a great devotee was fortunate enough to see 
the Divine Mother; and She loved, and showed Her kindness 
towards him very much; but he had to go on with the busi- 
ness of the wood-cutter all the same. He must sell the fire- 
wood to get his livelihood, 

It does not follow that a devoted lover of God must be 
very well-off in the world. He is rich in spirit though he may 
be poor in worldly things. Devaki in prison saw God in the 
form of a human being holding conch-shell, discus, mace and 
lotus in His four hands. But she with all her God-vision 
could not get out of the prison. 

M.: — Get out of the prison! It seemeth to me that she 
should have got out of her body, too, that being the source of 
her troubles. 

Master: — The thing is, the body is the fruit of one's past 
actions; so a man must bear with it, as long as his actions are 
not cleared. A blind man taking a bath in the holy water of 
the Ganges gets all his sins washed off. But his blindness 
keeps on all the same. It is the fruit of his actions in his 
past life. 

M. ; — 'The shaft that has gone out of the bow must run out 
its race.* One has ceased to have any hold on such a shaft 

Master: — The body may be happy or miserable. But the 
true devotee is all the time rich in spirit — rich in Knowledge 
and in the love of the Lord. 

Take for instance, the Pandavas. How many dangers and 
difficulties had they to face! What privations and trials to go 



136 GOSPEL OF SRI CRAMAKR1SHNA 

through! But amidst all these they never lost their love and 
devotion to God. Can ye find others equally wise and 
devoted to God? 

CHAPTER III. 

WITH VIVEKANANDA ; AND IN SAMADH1 

At this time Narendra and Vishwanatha Upadhyaya came 
in. Vishwanatha was the Nepalese resident at Calcutta. The 
Master used to call him Captain, and hence all his disciples 
too called him by that name. Narendra was about twenty-two 
at that time, reading in the senior B. A. class. He used to 
come off and on to see the Master, especially on Sundays. 
Bowing down to him Narendra took his seat. 

The Master asked him to sing. There was hanging from 
the western wall of the room a stringed musical instrument. 
Narendra took it down and began to turn its keys to raise the 
note of the strings to the necessary pitch to the accompani- 
ment of bawa and tabla (musical instruments). Every one was 
intently looking upon his face, eager to listen to his songs. 

Master (smiling to Vivekananda) : — This instrument no 
longer soundeth as before. 

Captain: — It is filled; therefore there is no sound; as with a 
vessel filled to the brim with water. 

Master: — But how dost thou explain the life of Narada and 
other Divine Teachers? They had realized God but spoke. 
They were filled but gave forth sounds. 

Captain: — They spoke for the good of mankind. 

Master: — Yes, that is so. Narada and Suka Deva came 
down from the highest state of Samadhu Their heart went 
out to those that were weary and heavy-laden and knew not 
God. They spoke for the good of others. 

Vivekananda sang the following song: — - 

SONG 

When shall we realize in the temple of our heart, the All-Good 
and All-Gracious form of God, the only Reality? Constantly looking 
on Him when shall we dive deep in the Sea of that Divine Beauty > 

Thou wilt come into my soul as Knowledge Absolute, as God 
Infinite. The dumfounded mind, made restless by its intense joy, will 
take refuge at Thy feet. Bliss — like embodied nectar, sweet and 
life-giving, will rise in the firmament of the soul. Looking at Thee 



SRI <RAMAKRISHNA WITH V1VEKANANDA 137 

thus manifest unto us I shall be mad with joy, even as the bird cha- 
kora is mad with joy at the sight of the moon. 

I shall kill myself at Thy feet, O Beloved, and then the end of my 
life will be realized. Thou art King of kings, One without a second, 
All-Peaceful, All-Gracious. 

Thus, even in this life shall I enjoy heavenly bliss ; O what a glo- 
rious privilege! When shall I look at Thy Holy and Pure Self? O, 
all impurities shall fly away from me, before that Glory, even as 
darkness flieth away before light! 

Do Thou light in my heart a burning faith, that like the pole-star 
is ever a sure and infallible guide. O, Thou friend of the weak, do 
Thou thus fulfil my only desire. Thus lost in the infinite bliss of Thy 
love I shall forget myself entirely, having Thee as my own, all day 
and night! Oh, when is that to come about? 

Sri Ramakrishna lost himself in deep Samadhi as soon as he 
Heard the words, 'Bliss — like embodied nectar sweet and life- 
giving!' There he sat, with clasped hands, erect, turning his 
face eastward; there he was diving deep into the Ocean of 
Beauty — the All-blissful Mother; no external consciousness! 
Breath had almost stopped; no sign of motion in any one of 
his limbs; no twinkle in the eye! Sitting like one drawn in a 
picture! He had gone, gone away somewhere from this king- 
dom, — from this world of the senses! 

The Samadhi ended. In the meantime, Narendra, seeing him 
in Samadhi, had gone out of the room to the eastern verandah. 
There Hazra was seated upon a blanket, telling his beads. 
Narendra began to talk with him. 

Sri Ramakrishna's room by this time had been filled with 
devotees. After the Samadhi had left him, the Master looketh 
for Narendra in the room. He was not there. The Tanpura 
was left upon the ground! The devotees all had their looks 
fastened on the Master. 

Master (referring to Narendra): — "He hath lighted the fire. 
It mattereth not now whether he remaineth in the room or hath 
left it!" Then turning towards the Captain and the devotees 
he saith, "Meditate upon God, the Sole Existence, Knowledge 
and Bliss Eternal, and ye also shall have Joy Everlasting. 

That Being of Knowledge and Bliss is always here and 
everywhere; only it is hidden from view by Ignorance. The 
less is your attachment to the senses, the more shall be your 
love towards God." 

Captain: — The more we near our home at Calcutta, the 
farther are we away from Kasi (Benares) and the more we 
near Kasi, the farther are we away from our home. 



138 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Master: — As Srimati (Radha) was nearing Sri Krishna, She 
was getting the charming smell of His sweet Person. Yes, the 
more one approacheth God the more doth one's love towards 
Him increase. The more doth the river near the sea the 
more it is subject to ebb and flow. 

Master: — The Ganges of Knowledge flowing in the soul of 

a wise man 1 (a Vedantist) runneth only in one direction. To 

him the whole universe is a dream. He 

The Knower and the a l ways li ve th in his own True Self. But the 

Lover. God the /^> c x i » 2 1 .1 

Absolute and God the Ganges of Love in a devotee s heart runneth 
Creator not in one direction. It hath its ebb and 

flow. A devotee laugheth, weepeth, danceth, 
singeth. He wants sometimes to merge into his Beloved. He 
swims in Him, dives and rises up in his jo§ as merrily as a 
lump of ice floats upon water. 

But in fact God the Absolute 3 and God the Creator 4 are one 
and the same Being. God the Absolute, Knowledge -Intel- 
ligence-Bliss is the same as All-Knowing, All-Intelligent and 
All-Blissful Mother of the Universe. The bright, precious 
stone and its brightness cannot be separated in thought, for 
ye cannot think of the stone without its brightness; nor can 
ye think of the brightness apart from the stone 5 . 

The Absolute, Knowledge-Intelligence-Bliss, the Undifferen- 
tiated, is differentiated into One and Many. He has various 
names applied to Him according to the various powers mani- 
fested. That is the reason of His having many Forms. Hence 
the devotee hath sung, 'O my Divine Mother 6 , Thou art even 
all that.' Wherever there is action, such as creation, preserv- 
ation and destruction, there is Shakti or Intelligent Energy. 
But water is water whether it moveth or doth not move. 
That One Absolute, Knowledge-Intelligence-Bliss, is also the 
eternally Intelligent Energy, Who createth and preserveth and 
destroyeth the universe. Thus it is the same Captain whether 
he does not do anything or performs his worship or visits the 
Governor-General. In all cases it is the same Captain. Only 
those are his different Upadhis or adjuncts. 

Captain: — Yes, Sir, that is so. 

Master: — I said this to Keshab Sen. 

Captain: — Well, Sir, Mr. Keshab Sen does not respect our 
Hindu manners and customs and laws. How can he be a 
real saint? He is a Babu, — not a holy man. 

1 Jnani. 2 Bhakta. 3 Brahman. 4 Shakti. 5 Mani. 6 Tara. 



SRI 'RAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA 139 

Master (smiling and turning towards the devotees): — Cap- 
tain always wanteth me never to go to Keshab Sen. 

Captain: — But your Holiness must go. What can I do? 

Master (sharply): — Thou goest to the Governor-General, 
who, according to thy Shastras, is a mlechha (non- Aryan); and 
for money too! And may I not go to Keshab Sen? He med- 
itateth upon God, uttereth His name! It doth not lie in thy 
mouth to say so — thou, who often sayest, 'It is God Who hath 
in the process of differentiation become the human soul and 
the world itself!' What thou sayest thou must mean, what 
thou meanest thou must say! 

After this Sri Ramakrishna abruptly left the room and went 
to the north-eastern verandah. The Captain and other devo- 
tees remained waiting for him in the room. Only M. accom- 
panied him to the verandah where Narendra was found talking 
with Hazra. Sri Ramakrishna knew that Hazra posed as an 
out-and-out Monist — all dry. He would say, "All the universe 
is a mere dream. All kinds of worship and offerings are 
mental delusions. God is the one Changeless Entity. A man 
should meditate upon his Self and nothing else," and so on. 

Master (laughing): — Hallo! What are you talking about? 

Narendra (laughing): — We are talking about themes too big 
for ordinary mortals. 

Master (laughing): — -But however you may talk, know that 
pure selfless devotion 1 and pure selfless knowledge 2 are both 
one and the same thing. The goal is the same. Smooth and 
easy is the path of devotion leading to God. 

Narendra: — Yes, there is no use reasoning after the philos- 
opher. 'Make me mad with Thy love, O Mother!' 

(To M.): — Sir, I have been reading Hamilton, and he writes, 
'A learned ignorance is the end of Philosophy and the begin- 
ning of Religion.' 

Master (to M.): — What is the meaning of that? 

Narendra explained it in Bengali. Sri Ramakrishna laughed 
and thanked him in English, saying, "Thank you." Everyone 
laughed at this, for the Master's knowledge of English was 
confined, at most, to half-a-dozen such expressions. 

1 Bhakti. 2 Jnana (through Philosophy). 



140 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

CHAPTER IV. 

Evening was drawing nigh. The devotees one after another 
took leave of the Master; and so did Narendra. 

The day was drawing to a close. It was almost evening. 
The Faras* was arranging the lights. The two priests of Kali 
and Vishnu were busy making their prayers as they stood in 
the midst of the sacred waters of the Ganges which came up 
to their waist; — purifying themselves, body and soul. They 
were shortly to go into their respective temples to perform the 
aratrika ceremony — the waving of lighted lamps, etc., before 
the images of the Deity, and do other nightly services. The 
young men of Dakshineshwara, stick in hand, had come with 
their friends to take a walk round the garden. They walked 
about the rampart and enjoyed the evening breeze made frag- 
rant by the flowers. They watched the slightly-undulating 
breast of the swift-flowing Ganges of the month of August. 
Some of them, perhaps more thoughtful, could be found walk- 
ing about by themselves in the solitude of the sacred trees 
called the Panchavati. Sri Ramakrishna also looketh on the 
Ganges for some time from the western verandah. 

It was evening, the lamp-lighter had lighted all the lamps 
of the big Temple. The old maid-servant came and lit the 
lamp in Sri Ramakrishna's room and burnt incense there. In 
the meantime the aratri\a ceremony began in the twelve 
shrines dedicated to Siva. It began, soon after, in the temples 
of the Mother of the Universe, and of Sri Vishnu. The united 
and solemn sound of gongs, bells, cymbals, etc., grew more 
solemn and sweet when it was sent back by the murmuring 
Ganges hard by. 

It was the first lunar day after the full-moon. A short while 
after night-fall the moon arose. Gradually the tops of the gar- 
den trees as well as the big Temple compound were bathed 
in the balmy light of the moon. At the magic touch of her 
light, the waters of the Ganges shone bright like silver and 
flowed, dancing with great joy as it were. 

The Master, just after the evening, bowed down to the 
Mother of the Universe. He repeated the holy Names of 
God, keeping time all the while by clapping his Hands. In 
his room there were pictures of various manifestations of God 

* Faras. — The temple servant who arranged the lights. 



SRI <RAMAKRISHNA WITH VIVEKANANDA 141 

and of God-men. There were Sri Gouranga with His devo- 
tees singing the praises of God; the baby Krishna with His 
Mother Yasoda; the Goddess of Learning; the Mother Kali; 
Dhruva; Prahlada; Sri Rama crowned; Sri Radha Krishna, 
etc. He bowed down to every manifestation of God, as 
drawn in the pictures, repeating Their holy Names. He 
repeated his favorite sayings, all having a grand unifying 
principle running through them, such as: — 

(1) Brahma — Alma — Bhagavan (i. e.), God the Absolute (God 
of the philosopher), God of the Yogi, God of the devotee are 
three in one, one in three. 

(2) Bhagavata — Bhatya — Bhagavan; — the Word, the devotee 
and the God of the devotee are three in one, one in three. 

(3) Brahma-Shakti, Shakti-Brahma. (God the Absolute is the 
same as God the Mother.) 

(4) Veda-Purana-T antra. (The various Scriptures and their 
one Theme, viz., God.) 

(5) Gita-Gayatri. 

(6) Sharanagata, Sharanagata (I am thine, I am thine.) 

(7) Naham, naham — Tuhu-tuhu (not I, not I, but Thou; Thou 
art the True Actor; I am only an instrument in Thy Hands). 

(8) Ami Y antra, Tumi Yantri (I am the instrument, Thou art 
the Being Who uses the instrument), etc., etc. 

After all these repetitions were over, he meditated upon 
the Mother Divine with clasped hands. 

Some of the devotees had been walking about in the garden 
during the evening. When the aratri\a ceremonies were over 
in the temples, they came together one after another in Sri 
Ramakrishna's room. He was sitting upon the bedstead. M., 
Adhar, Kishore, etc., were sitting before him on the floor. 

Master: — Narendra (Vivekananda), Rakhal and Bhabanath 
— these are Nityasiddhas (perfect even from their birth). They 
need no training. What training they go through is more than 
they need. Ye see Narendra never careth for any one. He 
was going with me in the Captain's carriage the other day. 
When the Captain requested him to sit upon the seat of honor, 
he did not mind him at all. Moreover, he never showeth to 
me that he knoweth anything lest I praise him before men. 
He has no Maya, no attachment. He looketh as if he is free 
from all bondage. He is very polite in his manners. For a 
single individual, he hath very many good and noble qualities, 
such as reading, writing, singing and playing upon musical 



142 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

instruments. At the same time he knoweth how to control 
his senses. He hath said that he will not marry. Narendra 
and Bhabanath are affinities. Narendra doth not come to me 
very often. That is good. For I always fall into Samadhi 
whenever I see him and do not know what to do. 



SECTION VII. 

1884 

VISIT TO SURENDRA'S GARDEN 

CHAPTER I. 
THE MASTER SINGING AND DANCING WITH HIS DISCIPLES 

On the 1 6th of June 1 884, Sunday, the sixth lunar day (dark 
fortnight) of Jaishiha, Sri Ramakrishna was invited by one of 
his beloved disciples, Surendra, a householder, to a feast made 
at his garden-house at Kankurgachi near Calcutta. These 
invitations were invariably occasions for the gathering of his 
disciples, would-be disciples and his admirers. They were 
really occasions of festivity and rejoicing, on which the Name 
of God was chanted to the accompaniment of mridangas and 
other musical instruments. All the while the Master could be 
seen at his best, — singing, dancing, with the joy of the Lord 
and frequently lost in that blessed state of the soul, in the 
enjoyment of God-consciousness, called Samadhi. 

When the singing of devotional hymns and the spiritual 
excitement which came with it were over, the company 
present was treated by the Master to one of those celestial 
conversations laden with sermons for the spiritual welfare of 
humanity — to a veritable feast of reason and flow of soul — 
which shall never die in the memory of those that had the 
rare good fortune, the privilege, to listen to them. 

The first part of the day was given to Sankirtan (the singing 
forth of the Name of the Lord). They were singing the songs 
telling of the separation of the Gopees from the Lord Sri 
Krishna who had gone to Mathura. 

The Gopees were the milk-maids of Brindaban who loved 
the Lord Sri Krishna then living in their midst as a shepherd- 
boy. Sri Krishna is looked upon as an Incarnation of God. 
He loved and was loved by everybody. He is the Impersona- 
tion of Divine Love. When eleven years old He left Brin- 
daban. 

In the course of the songs the Master was frequently put in 
a state of Samadhi (divine ecstasy). 



1 44 GOSPEL OF SRI %AMAKRISHNA 

They are singing. Suddenly he rises to his feet saying, "O 
my friend, do thou bring my beloved Krishna to me, or take 
me over to the place where He is." 

The Master hath lost his own personality in that of Radha, 
chief of the Gopees. He realizeth that he and Radha are one. 

With these words he standeth speechless and motionless, 
with fixed, half-closed eyes that move not, evidently losing all 
_, __ sense-consciousness. Coming to himself he 

T he Master in ■ '^11 ^1 ,_ f ,1 

Samadhi again, in a voice that draweth tears rrom the 

eyes of those that hear him, crieth out, "O my 
friend, do me this favor and I shall be thy most devoted 
servant. Remember it was thou that taughtst me my love 
for the Beloved." 

The chorus goeth on singing. Radha is made in the song 
to say, 'O! I will not go to the bank of the Jamuna to draw 
water; for coming up to the Kadamba tree I am put in mind 
of my Own, my Beloved.' 

The Master, heaving a sigh, saith, "Ah me!" The chorus 
chanting aloud the Name of the Lord, Sri Ramakrishna is 
again on his feet and in Samadhi 

Getting back his sense -consciousness, he can only say 
inarticulatly, 'Kristna, Kristna,' for 'Krishna, Krishna.' The 
proceedings are brought to a close by the Master himself 
leading the chorus in the well-known piece, 'Victory to Radha, 
Victory to Govinda.' He danceth with his disciples who form 
a ring round him, 

The dancing and singing all take place in the reception 
hall. The Master then withdraweth into one of the adjoining 

rooms to to the west. 
for the Lord ° J ^° MU one of the disciples, the Master talking 

of the Gopees saith, "How wonderful is their 
devotion! 1 At the sight of the Tamal tree 2 they were seized 
with the very madness of love." 

Disciple: — This was also the case with Chaitanya Deva. 
Looking at the forest he thought it was Brindaban that was 
before him! — the sacred city, the birth-place of Sri Krishna. 

Master: — Oh! if any one is but favored with a single par- 
ticle of this ecstatic Love (Prema). What devotion! Of this 
devotion they had not only the full complement (sixteen 
annas) but a great deal more than the full complemedt — five 
Sil^as, five annas. 

1 Anuraga. 2 The dark color of the Tamal tree put Radha in mind of the Lord Sri Krishna. 



A VISIT TO SURENDRA'S GARDEN 145 

"It is immaterial whether or not one believes in the 

Incarnation of Radha and Krishna. One may believe (like 

the Hindu or the Christian) in God's Incarna- 

\r 6 js7 Wg tion; one may not. But let all have a yearn- 

ing tor this intensity or love ror the Lord. 

That is the one thing needful. 

"If thou must be mad, be not so with things of this world. 
But be mad with the love of the Lord." 

He then cometh back into the hall (the disciples coming 
after him) and seateth himself. 

A bolster is placed there for his use. Before touching it, 

he saith, "Om Tat Sat. The Lord is the only Reality." The 

pillow is of course a thing which hath been 

Parity impure by the unholy touch of worldly men 

and the Master is Purity itself. 
It is getting late, but no dinner is being served. The Master 
becometh a little impatient. He is like a child. 

Surendra is the host. He is a beloved disciple of Sri 
Ramakrishna. 

The Master saith, "Surendra's disposition has grown admir- 
able. He is very outspoken. He is always bold enough to 
speak the truth. Then he is generous. Those 
Serve only the Lord that go to him f or help never come back dis- 
appointed." 
Master (to M., a disciple): — You went to Bhagavan Das. What 
sort of man is he? 

Here cometh in Niranjan, a young disciple of his. The 
Master standeth up saying, "O! thou art come after ail!" He 
is filled with joy. 

Master (to M.): — This young man is remarkably free from 
guile. Openness as opposed to dissimulation is the fruit of 
the practice of a good many religious auster- 
Freedom from Guile ities in one's previous incarnations. 

In that well-known song by Tulsi Das — 'Oh 
my brother! do thou cling to God,' occur the words, 'Give 
up dissimulation and cunning.' Dost thou not see that 
whenever God hath taken a human form this great virtue of 
guilelessness hath never failed to come to view? Look at 
Dasaratha, the father of Rama, and Nanda Ghosh, the father 
of Sri Krishna. They were all free from guile. 

Master (to Niranjan): — Like men of the world thou hast 
accepted service. But thou art working for thy mother. Other- 



146 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKR1SHNA 

wise, I should have said, 'For shame! for shame! The Lord 

alone must thou serve.' 

_. „ /. Master (to Mani Mallick): — This young man 

l he Service of the • 1 *1 1 1 1 

Lor j is open and guileless to a degree; only now-a- 

days he tells fibs a little, that is all. The other 
day he said that he would come to see me, but he did not. 

Referring to the same disciple the Master saith, "A change for 
the worse hath come over his face. It seemeth a dark shad- 
owy film hath spread over it. All this is due 
SerliceZftL World to °& ce work. There are the accounts and a 
hundred other different matters to attend to!" 
Bhabanath is another disciple of his. He is talking to his 
fellow-disciple M. 

Bhabanath (to M.): — Thou hast not been to 

Anxiety for a Disciple the Lord's place for a long time. The Master 

was talking to me about thy absence and was 

asking me whether it was a fact that he (the Master) had 

turned out to be an object of disrelish 1 to thee. 

Sri Ramakrishna who hath heard everything saith kindly to 
M. "Quite so. Why is it that thou didst not come?" Poor 
M. could only stammer out some lame excuses. Here came 
in Mahima. 

Master (to Mahima): — This is indeed a visit quite unexpected! 
We expect a boat at most in this poor river of ours. But here 
cometh a ship! But then it is the rainy season. {Laughter.) 

The conversation next turneth on the spiritual aspect of 
feasts. 

Master (to Mahima): — Why is it that people are fed in a 
feast? Dost thou not think it cometh to offering 2 a sacrifice to 
God 3 , Who is the Living Fire in all creatures? 

But bad men, not God-fearing, guilty of adultery, fornica- 
tion, etc., should on no account be entertained at a feast. Their 
sins are so great that several cubits of the earth beneath the 
place where they eat become polluted. 

On one occasion Hriday gave a feast. A considerable 
number of those that were bidden were sinful men. I said to 
Hriday, "Look here! If thou feedest these wicked people I 
shall leave the house at once!" 

Master (to Mahima): — Somebody said that formerly thou 
usedst very often to give feasts. I dare say thy household and 
other expenses have since multiplied! 

2 Aruchi. 2 Ahuti. 3 Brahman. 



A VISIT TO SURENDRA'S GARDEN 147 

CHAPTER II. 
SRI RAMAKRISHNA AND THE MODERN IDEA OF WORK 

Pratap Chandra Majumdar, a member of the Brahma-Samaj, 
cometh and saluteth Sri Ramakrishna. He returneth his salut- 
ation with his well-known modesty, bowing down very low. 

Pratap saith, "Sir, I have recently been to Darjeeling." 

Sri Ramakrishna: — But thou dost not appear to be much the 
better for the change. What's the matter with thee? 

Pratap: — The same complaint to which he (Keshab Chandra 
Sen) succumbed. 

There is then a talk on Keshab's life. Pratap taketh part in 
the conversation. "Keshab was in his youth marked by non- 
attachment to the world. He was seldom found merry or 
cheerful. While a student at the Hindu College, he formed a 
close friendship with S. Thus it was that he came across S.'s 
revered father, Devendranath Tagore." "Keshab assiduously 
practised," continued Pratap, "both communion by meditation 
and devotion. He was even subject to fits of unconsciousness 
due to excessive devotion, but he always succeeded in keep- 
ing them in check. The great end of his life was to bring 
religion within reach of the householder." 

The conversation turneth next on a certain Mahratta lady. 
Pratap saith that she had been to England and that she had 
embraced Christianity. He asketh the Master 
Desire for Fame whether he hath ever heard of the lady. The 

Master replied, "No; but from what I hear 
from thee I should think that she must be a woman who 
wanteth to make a name for herself!" 

Turning to the company, he saith, "Egotism of this kind is 
to be condemned. Those that seek fame are under a delu- 
sion. They forget that everything is ordered 
Egotism by the Great Disposer of all things — the Sup- 

reme Being — and that all the credit is due to 
the Lord and to nobody else. It is the wise that say always, 
'It is Thou, it is Thou, O Lord!' but the ignorant and the self- 
deluded say, 'It is I, it is I.' 

"The calf saith, 'Hamma or Aham (I).' Now look at the 
troubles caused by itself which saith, 'I,' 'I.' In the first place, 
the calf, sometimes, is taken into the fields where it is yoked 
to the plough. It is there made to work on from morning to 

1 Vairagya. 



148 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

evening alike in the sun and in the rain. Its troubles are not 

yet over. It is very often killed by the butcher. Its flesh is 

eaten as meat. Its skin is tanned into hides. 

Parable of the Calf fc fe made ^ ^^ J^ su fi er[ Q f the 

and its rortunes, If • 1 • 1 i l r» l 

or the Self ca " m mis state know no bounds. But that is 

not all. Drums are made with the skin, which 
is thus mercilessly beaten sometimes with the hand and some- 
times with the drumstick. It is only when out of its entrails 
are made strings for the bows used for carding cotton that the 
troubles of the poor creature are over. And that is because it 
no longer saith, 'hamma (I), 'hamma (I), but 'Tuhum! Tuhum! 
(It is Thou, O Lord! It is Thou!) 

"The perfect liberation 1 of the soul is within the reach of 
him alone who, being convinced that God is the Disposer of 
all things, hath learnt the lesson of complete self-abnegation 
and absolute forgetfulness of 'I,' 'Me,' 'Mine.' 

"The truly wise man is he who hath seen the Lord. He 

becometh like a child. The child, no doubt, seemeth to have 

- an individuality, a separateness, of its own. 

r \ f . ° er But that individuality is a mere appearance, 

God-vision if r i i.i i • i • 

not a reality. 1 he selr or the child is nothing 
like the self of the grown-up man. 

"He has seen the Lord and he is now a changed being. 

"The steel sword hath no sooner come in contact with the 
Touchstone than it is turned into gold. It goeth on, no doubt, 
having the appearance of a sword, but it doth no harm to 
anybody. Our ego or self, if purified by the realization of 
God — if made pure by seeing God — cannot harm anybody. 

"The self of the child is again like the face reflected in the 
mirror. The face in the mirror looketh exactly like the real 
face; only it doth nobody any* harm. . 

"The signs of one who has seen God are these: — His con- 
duct is like that of a child. He sometimes looketh like an 
unclean spirit. He doth not care for his body. 
Signs of God-vision He seemeth to make no distinction between 
purity and impurity; for he seeth God in and 
through everything. Such a person looketh like a mad man, 
now laughing, now weeping, and the next moment talkiug to 
himself; now dressed like a gentleman and taking his only 
bit of cloth under his arm and thus going naked like a child. 
Lastly, he looketh like one who is -brought .to. the state of an 

1 Mukti. 



A VISIT TO SURENDRA'S GARDEN 149 

insentient being — the condition of an inert, lifeless, material 
body 1 ." 

Master (to Pratap Majumdar): — Thou wentest to England 
and America. Tell me of your experiences. 

Pratap: — Sir, the national characteristics of the 
England and America English people may be summed up by one 

word, namely, the worship of what thou callest 
\anchan (gold). I must say, however, there are a few honorable 
exceptions. As a general rule, Rajas or worldly activity is the 
one thing everywhere. Much the same thing is observable in 
America. 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA ON WORK 2 WITHOUT ATTACHMENT 

The Master thereupon saith, "The attachment to work which 
thou sayest is the chief characteristic of the English and the 
American people marketh all human communities. But 
remember, it is a mark of the earliest stage of life. Work for 
the sake of one's own worldly goods — riches, honor, fame — 
is degrading. Worldly activity 8 will only bring on increasing 
ignorance 4 . It will" make thee forgetful of God and attached 
to 'Lust and Gold 5 .' Therefore the attachment to work that 
is observable in England and America — an attachment lead- 
ing to spiritual degradation — is to be condemned. 

"Thou canst not get rid of work, because Nature 6 will lead 
thee on to it. That being so, let all work be done as it ought 
to be. If work is done unattached it will lead to God. Work 
so done is a means to an end, and God is the end. 

"To work without any attachment is to work without the 
expectation of any reward or fear of any punishment in this 
world or the next. 

"Work without attachment, however, is exceedingly difficult, 

especially in this age 7 . The fact is, one must have True 

Knowledge 8 or Love 9 of God. It is possible 

p li" y - °tu- *a for the ideal man alone to live a life of work 

froblem tn this Age . . 

without attachment. Others get easily attached 
more or less to things of the world and they know it not. 

"Hence it is our duty as 'imperfect' men to find out, if pos- 
sible, the shortest path that leadeth to God — the end of our 
life. Let us do the duty that is nearest us. Let us bring down 
our work to a minimum by earnest prayer 9 and self-surrender. 

1 Jadavat. 2 Karmayoga. 3 Rajas. 4 Tamas. 5 Kamini and Kanchan. 6 Prakriti. 
7 Kaliyuga. 8 Jnana. 9 Bhakti. 



1 50 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

"Thus on account of the difficulty of work without attach- 
ment in this age, communion 1 by prayer, devotion and love — 
„ ,, ■ , 7 , by the practice of Narada's Bhahtiyoea — hath 

Problem Solved for i_ • • J 1 l l t .1 • 

t f,i S Age been enjoined as better adapted to this age 

than the communion by work or communion 
by the path of knowledge or philosophy. 

"Communion 1 by love (of God) will enable us to see God 
with far less difficulty than any other kind of communion. 

"No one, however, can avoid work. Every mental operation 

is 'work.' The consciousness that 'I feel' or 'I think' involve th 

'work.' What is meant by the 'Path of Devo- 

Effect of Devotion* • 2» • •. l .• . t • .1 . i - • 

upon Work* in relation to work is that work is 

simplified by devotion, or love (of God). 
"In the first place, this love 2 of God reduceth the quantity of 
one's work by fixing one's mind upon one's own ideal (i. e., 
God). Secondly, it helpeth one to work unattached. One 
cannot love the Lord and at the same time love riches or 
pleasure or fame or power. He who hath once tasted the 
drink prepared with the ola sugar-candy doth not care for that 
made with molasses. 

"No greater mistake can be committed than to look upon 
work as the be-all and end-all of human life. Work is the 
„, , , first chapter of human life. God is the con- 

Work is not the i 

End of Life ClUSlOn. 

"On one occasion, Sambhu, a householder, 
said to me, 'I should deem myself fortunate if I could build 
hospitals and dispensaries, make roads where there are none, 
sink wells for the good of the people in seasons of drought, 
set up schools and colleges.' Thereupon I said to him, 'It 
is all very well that thou shouldst do all these works. But 
canst thou do them unattached? If thou canst it will lead to 
God. Otherwise not.' But to work unattached is exceedingly 
difficult. In any case, take care and do not confound the 
means with the end. Work is a means, if done unattached, 
but the end of life is to see God. Let me repeat that the 
means should not be confounded with the end — that the first 
stage on a road should not be taken as a Goal. 

"No, do not regard work as the be-all and end-all — the 
ideal of human existence. Pray for Bhakti (devotion to God). 
Suppose thou art fortunate enough to see God. Then what 
wouldst thou pray for? Wouldst thou pray for dispensaries 

1 Yoga. 2 Bhakti. 3 Karma. 



Jl VISIT TO SURENDRA'S GARDEN 151 

and hospitals, tanks and wells, roads and serais? No, no, these 
are realities to us so long as we do not see God. But once 
placed face to face with the Vision Divine, we see them as they 
are — transitory things, no better than dreams; and then we 
would pray for more Light — more Knowledge in the highest 
sense — more Divine Love — the love which lifteth us up from a 
man to God, a love which maketh us realize that we are really 
sons of the Supreme Being, — of Whom all that can be said is 
that He existeth, that He is Knowledge itself in the highest 
sense, and that He is the eternal Fountain of Love and Bliss. 

"Therefore, never lose sight of this Goal of Life that I have 
pointed out to thee. Never lose sight of the Ideal. In this 
connection I will tell thee a parable: — 

A man was cutting wood in a forest, when he was accosted 

by a Brahmacharin. (A Brahmacharin is a holy man practising 

control over the flesh and preparing for the 

The Wood-cutter and next gt of lif e _ t h at Q f the householder or 

the tfrahmacharin ; , . n r-p,, , ■. • 1 « /^ 

or "Go on A head" the asceticj 1 he holy man said, Go on 
ahead.' The wood-cutter came back home 
with his load of wood, wondering why the sage had bade him 
go ahead. Thus passed away some days. One day he was 
put in mind of the holy man's words and he made up his 
mind that day to go farther on with a view to cut wood. 
What was his surprise to find that portion of the forest full of 
sandal trees! Of course, he brought cart-loads of sandal-wood 
to market and soon grew enormously rich. In this way again 
some days passed, when he was once more reminded of the 
injunction laid upon him by the holy man, viz., 'Go on ahead.' 
So again did he form the resolution of going into the forest 
and of making a further advance. What was his surprise to 
find a silver mine close to the bed of a river! This he had 
never looked for even in his dreams. He worked at the mines 
and brought away tons of silver with which he made a splen- 
did bargain. It is needless to say that after this he turned out 
to be one of the millionares of the day. But once more after 
the lapse of some years did the holy man's words come back 
to his mind. He thought within himself, 'The holy man did 
not bid me stop at the silver mine but he told me to go on 
ahead.' This time he went across the river and came upon 
a gold mine and finally on a diamond mine! Needless to add, 
that he grew as rich as the God of Wealth . 

1 Kuver. 



152 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

"So go ahead, my children, and never lose sight of your 
Ideal! Go onward and never stop until you have reached the 
Goal. Reaching a particular stage, do not run away with the 
idea that you have come to your journey's end. 

"Work is only the first stage of the journey. Bear in mind 
that doing acts unattached is exceedingly difficult; that there- 
fore the path of love 1 is better suited to this age, and that 
work, even if unattached, is not the end of your life but only a 
means to the end. 

"So march on and never halt till ye have come up to the 
great Ideal of your life — the seeing of God." 

CHAPTER III. 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA, THE BRAHMA-SAMAJ AND 
THE 'ONE THING NEEDFUL' 

The next subject of this conversation was the schism in the 
Brahma-Samaj following upon the passing away of the spirit 
of Keshab. 

Master (to Pratap): — I hear there is a difference between 
you and other members of your body. Amongst your oppo- 
_. _ , , nents, as far as I have seen them, there are 

The Schisms in the j r r> ?/ 1 r> / / £ 1 • 

Brahma-Samaj many, Moray, falla and Fancha (men or ordi- 

nary calibre). 
With one of those bewitching smiles which made his face 
radiant with a sort of celestial glory, the Master pointing to 
Pratap said to the company present, "Ye see the conch-shells 
— Pratap, Amrita, etc., give a loud powerful sound. But there 
are conch-shells and conch-shells. Others there are that are 
not at all sonorous. They do not give a single sound." 
The company present all had a good laugh. 
Referring to lectures given by members of religious bodies 
like the Brahma-Samaj and Hari Sabha, the Master saith, "One 
can form an estimate of the man from the 
Cod is Love 2 lectures he delivereth. S. was lecturing as the 

preceptor of a certain Hari Sabha. In the 
course of his speech he said, 'The Lord is totally devoid of 
sweetness. That being so, we must make Him sweet by lend- 
ing to Him the sweetness, of our own nature.' By sweetness 
he meant love and other divine attributes. When I came to 
this I was put in mind of the boy who said that in his maternal 

1 Bhaktiyoga. 2 Raso vai sah. 



A VISIT TO SURENDRA'S GARDEN 153 

uncle's house there were a good many horses, Of this the 
boy tried to convince his hearers by saying that a whole cow- 
house was full of horses. Of course the intelligent audience 
could at once see that cow-houses were not exactly the places 
intended for horses, that the youngster must have told a lie 
and that he had no experience or knowledge of horses. 

"To say that God is devoid of Sweetness, Love, Joy, Bliss 
and other attributes, is an absurdity which proveth that the 
speaker is totally ignorant of what he is saying and that he 
hath never realized the Supreme Being, who is the Fountain 
of Eternal Love, Wisdom and Bliss." 

Suddenly becoming serious, he turneth to Pratap and saith, 

"Thou art an educated and intelligent man. Thou art not 

light-hearted but grave and serious. Keshab 

ove o o anc an J thou were like the brothers Gour (Chaita- 

Kenunciation r\ \ i at X/1 11 1 C 

nya DeVa) and Netai. Ye have had enough or 
this world — -enough of lectures, controversies, schisms and the 
rest. Is it not so? Thy soul must be wearied by this time. It 
is high time now to have one aim — to give up thy attention 
to God alone — to plunge, to dive deep into the Immortal Sea 
of His Love." 

Majumdar: — Yes, Sir, I see that is the one thing needful. 
No doubt of it. All that I seek is to keep Keshab's work alive. 

Master (smiling): — Thou sayest indeed that thou seekest to 
keep Keshab's work going; well, wait a few days and thou 

shalt think otherwise. 
Man's Self Delusion: A on i ived CO mfortably in a hut built 

Lonfuston between A lilll ill 

Egoism and Altruism upon a rock. He had to work hard to get 
the hut built. A few days after there was a 
terrible storm. The hut seemed to reel on its foundations. In 
his anxiety to save it, he prayed to the God of Winds saying, 
'Lord, be good enough not to pull down my hut.' The God 
turned a deaf ear to his words and the hut was about to come 
down with a crash. It now occured to him that Hanumana 
was the son of the God of Winds. So he cried out, 'Do not 
pull down the hut, O Father, its owner is no less a person 
than thy own son, Hanumana!' But the storm blew on with 
as much fury as ever, and the hut was about to come down. 
In vain did he cry out over and over again, 'It is Hanumana's 
own house! It is Hanumana's own!' He then made a fresh 
appeal, saying, 'It is Lakshmana's hut! O God spare it!' Lak- 
shmana being the brother of Rama, the Incarnation of God 



154 GOSPEL OF SRI KAMAKR1SHNA 

and hero of the epic Ramayana. But Lakshmana's name 
carried a little weight as the name of Hanumana, and the hut 
was ready to come down with a crash; so the man cried out 
in the last resort, 'It is Rama's house, spare it, O it is Rama's 
house, spare it, O God of Winds!' 

The God of Winds was inexorable and the hut began to 
come down with a crash. Seeing all his appeals, had been 
made in vain, the man rushed out of the hut and cursed it 
saying, 'It is the devil's own hut!' (Laughter.) 

Thou mayest be anxious to preserve Keshab's name. But 
console thyself with the thought that it was after all owing to 
God's will that the religious movement connected with his 
name was set on foot, and that if the movement has had its 
day it is all owing to that same Divine will. 

Therefore dive deep into the sea. And the Master sang: 

SONG 
Dive Deep 

1. Dive deep, dive deep, dive deep O my mind into the Sea of 
Beauty. 

Make a search in the regions lower, lower down under the sea; 
you will come by the jewel, the wealth of Prema (intense love of God). 

2. Within thy heart is the abode 1 of the God of Love. Go about 
searching, go about searching, go about searching ! You will find it. 

Then shall burn without ceasing the Lamp of Divine Wisdom. 

3. Who is that Being that doth steer a boat on land — on land, on 
solid ground ? 

Says Kavir, " Listen, listen, listen ; meditate on the hallowed Feet 
of the Lord, the Divine Preceptor." 

Fear not. It is the sea of Immortality. 

I once said to Narendra (Vivekananda) : 
'Fear not' Majumdar (interrupting): — Who is this 

Narendra? 
Master: — Oh, there is a young man of that name. Well, I 
said to Narendra, 'God is like a Sea of Liquid Sweet. Wouldst 
thou not dive deep into this Sea? Suppose, my boy, there is 
a vessel with a wide mouth containing the syrup of sugar, and 
suppose thou art a fly anxious to drink of the sweet liquid, 
Where shouldst thou sit and drink?' Narendra said to me in 
reply that he should like to drink from the edge of the vessel, 
adding that if he chanced to come to a point beyond his 
depth he was sure to be drowned and thus to lose his life. 

1 Brindavan. 



A VISIT TO SURENDRA 'S QARDEN 1 55 

Thereupon I said to him, 'Thou dost forget, my boy, that if 
thou divest deep into the Divine Sea, thou shalt not be afraid 
of death or of any danger. Remember the Divine Sea is the 
Sea of Immortality. The syrup of this sea never causeth death 
but Everlasting Life. Be not afraid like some foolish persons that 
you may 'run to excess' in your love of God.' 

What is the difference between Charity 1 and Self-love 2 ? 
Charity is love extending to all and not confined to one's 
own self, family, sect or country. Self-love is 
ChZZTdSdf-love? attachment to one's own self family, sect or 
country. Cherish the first, which is elevating 
and will lead you God ward. Self-love is ruinous to the soul 
and will only take you down-hill. 

What is Knowledge in the highest sense? The wise man 

saith, 'Oh! Lord, Thou art the sole Actor in this universe. 

I am only an humble instrument in Thy 

Knowled e Hands. Again, nothing is mine. Everything 

is Thine. Myself, my family, my riches, my 

virtues are all Thine. ' 

'Thou and Thine' is True Knowledge 3 ; 'I and mine' is 
Ignorance. 

Work without Devotion 4 to God hath in this age no legs to 

stand upon. First cultivate Devotion 4 . All other things — 

schools, dispensaries, etc., shall, if you like, 

Charitable ana other i 111 *. C" .. P\ ._• ^1 

Wor u s be added unto you. rirst Devotion, then 

Work. Work, apart from Devotion, or love 
of God, is helpless and cannot stand. 

Pratap made inquiries about the disciples. He asked 
whether those that came to the Master were getting better in 
the spirit day by day: 

The Master said: "I place before them the ideal life of a 
maid-servant — a nurse — as teaching them how to live in this 
world. 

"The maid-servant saith with reference to her Master's 

house, 'This is our house.' All the while she knoweth that the 

house is not her own, and that her own house 

How to live: -or the j g f ar away i n a distant village. Her thoughts 

emo e jj forth to her village home. Again, 

Solved— especially for r • 1 ' 1 •! 1*1 

the Householder referring to her masters child in her arms, 

she would say, 'My Hari (that being the name 

of the child) has grown very wicked' or, 'My Hari likes to eat 

1 Daya. 2 Maya. 3 Jnana. 4 Bhalcti. 



156 GOSPEL OF SRITIAMAKRISHNA 

this or that thing,' and so on. But all the while she knoweth 
for certain that Hari is not her own. I tell those that come to 
me to lead a life unattached like this maid-servant. I tell them 
to live unattached to this world — to be in the world, but not 
of the world — and at the same time to have their mind fixed 
on God — the Heavenly Home from whence all come. I tell 
them to pray for the love of God (Bhakti), which will help 
them so to live." 

After a short interval the conversation turneth on the agnos- 
ticism of Europe and America. Mazumdar saith, "Whatever 
people in the West may profess to be, none 

Agnosticism in Europe r.i •. . • , i • . . 

„j A™„ri r 01 them, as it seems to me, is an atheist at 

and Amenca ' ' 

heart. 1 he riuropean savants do admit an 
Unknown Power behind the Universe." 

Master: — Well, it is sufficient if they believe in SHAKTI, — 
the Power ruling the Universe. 

Mazumdar: — They also admit the moral government of the 
Universe. 

Pratap rising to take leave, the Master saith to him, "What 
shall I say? It is better that you should cease to have any- 
thing to do with all those things (schisms, controversies, etc.). 

RENUNCIATION (A PARTING APPEAL) 

Carnality and Attachment to Gold, remember, keep men 
immersed in worldliness and away from God. It is remark- 
able that everybody has nothing but praise for his own wife, 
be she good, bad or indifferent." 

Here Mazumdar left. 



SECTION VIII. 

October 1884 

VISIT TO A HINDU PANDIT AND PREACHER 

Place — College Street, Calcutta 

Date — Rathayatra, 25th June, 1884, 4 P. M. to 6.30 P. M., 

the second lunar day of Ashadha {light fortnight) 

THE MASTER IN SAMADHI 

When Sri Ramakrishna had got into the carriage which was 
to take him to the house in which Pandit Sasadhar was put- 
ting up, he was again in Samadhi, that 'blessed and serene 
mood' in which the place of all sense-consciousness is taken 
by pure God-consciousness — a mood which he called his 
abesh. In this state the Yogi is carried away into the super- 
sensuous world. 

It was about 4 P. M. It was drizzling a little when he set 
out from Ishan's house. The roads were covered with mud. 
The disciples followed the carriage on foot. They were eager 
to assist at what promised to be an interesting meeting. It 
being the day of the Car Festival, they found on their way 
children playing and blowing their pipes made of palm leaves. 
The Master's carriage drew up at the entrance door and he 
was warmly received by the host and his people. 

Coming upstairs the Master met Sasadhar advancing towards 
him. He appeared to be a middle-aged man with a fair com- 
plexion and had a rosary of Rudraksha beads thrown around 
his neck. He came forward with a reverential air, saluted the 
Master, and led him into the parlor which was intended for 
his reception. The disciples and others all went after him 
and seated themselves as near him as they could. 

Among the many disciples present were Narendra, M., 
Rakhal and Rama. 

Master (smiling in his semi-conscious state and approvingly): 
— Very well, very well! Well, what kind of lectures art thou 
in the habit of giving? 
_ Sasadhar: — Sir, I try to bring out the truths 

Communion by Love — 1.1 . 1 TJ 1 C * j. 1 

not by Work taught by the Holy Scriptures . 

Master: — For this age , it is Communion with 
God by love, devotion and self-surrender, as practised by the 

1 Shastras. 2 Kaliyuga." 



1 58 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Rishi Narada 1 , that is enjoined. There is hardly time for 
doing the various works 2 laid upon man by the Scriptures. 

Dost not thou see that the well-known decoction of the ten 
medicinal roots 3 is not the medicament for fevers of the 
present day? The patient runs the risk of being carried off, 
before the medicine has time to take effect. Fever mixture 
is, therefore, the order of the day. 

Look here. Teach them work 4 if you like. But do so, 
weighing the fish minus the head and the tail. I tell people 
not to trouble themselves with long rituals like Sandhya* and 
the rest of it; but to say only the shorter form, Gayatrif. 

Workers 5 like Ishan are exceptions. Thou art welcome to 
talk of work to such people if thou must, and of conduct 
enjoined by the Scriptures. 
_, tr , , Your lectures cannot possibly make any im- 

The Value of Lectures • ,1 i • i 

to Worldl Men pression upon those who are immersed in 

worldliness. 
Is it possible to drive nails into a stone? Shouldst thou make 

an attempt to do so, the chances are that the 
wlri/^Men nails would sooner have their heads broken 

than make any impression on the stone. 
The crocodile will in vain be struck with the sword or spear. 
The mendicant's bowl 6 made of gourd shell may have been 
to the four corners 7 of India which a holy man is required to 
visit and still remain as bitter in taste as ever. 

Therefore I say unto thee, to such men thy lectures shall 
prove useless. They are sure to remain as worldly as ever 
in spite of them. 

But I dare say thou wilt become wiser with 
rZ"™ TeLLr add * d experience. The calf is not able to 

stand upon its legs all at once. It droppeth 
down at first as it trieth to do so. But it is precisely in this 
way that it at last learneth to walk. 

It is not thy fault that thou canst not know the 
The Effect of First dl from fhe wor ldly-minded. When a 

Love on the fower of - * 'ill l • • l i l J 

Discrimination strong wind bloweth it raiseth the dust and 

maketh it difficult for one to know one kind 

of tree from another, for instance, the mango from the tama- 

1 Naradiya Bhakti. 2 Karmayoga. 3 Dasamul Pachan. 4 Karma. 5 Karmis. 6 Ka- 
mandalu. 7 Char dham. 

* Sandhya — divine service three times a day, laid upon the twice-born. 
t Gayatri — a short text from the Vedas, the repetition of which leads to meditation on 
God, the Omnipresent Source of all energy and power. 



VISIT TO A HINDU "PANDIT AND "PREACHER 159 

rind. So in thee is blowing, for the first time, the strong wind 
of first love 1 . Thou canst not know the godly from the worldly- 
minded. They are the same to thee. 

It is possible for him alone to give up all work 
"Tn UP ii° r J" who hath seen, hath realized, God. 

and Realization . .' ill- 12 i 

i he question is, how long should rituals and 
other ceremonial work be practised ? The answer is, the term 
of these is over as soon as there are tears visible in the eyes 
and horripilation 3 at the sacred Name of God. 

When thou sayest, 'Om Rama!' and when immediately 
tears stand in thine eyes, then know it for certain that the 
term of thy work is over. Then thou art at liberty to give up 
all rituals and routine exercises. Thou hast risen above work. 
When the fruit appears the blossoms drop off. The Love 4 
which realizeth God is the fruit. Work 5 is the blossom. 

When the daughter-in-law of the house is found to be with 
child, the mother-in-law taketh care that her household duties 
become less and less every day. When it is the tenth month 
with her she hath almost ceased to work. 

Sandhya loseth itself in Gayatri. Gayatri loseth itself in 
Om, the sacred symbol in the Vedas for Brahman, the Abso- 
lute and Unconditioned. Om in the end loseth itself in 
Samadhi (pure God-consciousness). 

The sound of the bell is symbolical of these states. Dong 
(or the sound of the bell) gradually loseth itself in Infinity. 
This symbolizeth the sound 6 perceived by the Yogi as pro- 
ceeding from the Absolute and being then lost in the Absolute. 

In the same way Karma (religious exercises like the San- 
dhya) in the end loseth itself in Samadhi (pure God-con- 
sciousness). 

Thus the realization of God cutteth short work. 

The Master is talking of Samadhi, and once more his mood 
goeth through a remarkable change. A strange heavenly 
expression cometh over his sweet, radiant 
Samadhi face. He loseth all sense-consciousness. Re- 

maining speechless in this state for a time, he 
saith, as is his wont, 'Give me a little water.' 

The call for water is, as a general rule, a sure sign of the 
Master coming down to the plane of sense-consciousness. 

He then goeth on saying, "O Mother! It did please Thee 
to show me Ishwar Vidyasagar. This time again I said to 

1 Anuraga. 2 Sandhya, etc. 3 Pulak. 4 Bhakti. 5 Karma. 6 Nadaveda. 



160 GOSPEL OF SRI "RAMAKRISHNA 

Thee, 'Mother! I desire to see a Pandit* and Thou hast heard 
my prayer." 

Turning to Sasadhar the Master saith, "My son, do add to 
thy strength a little. Go through the devotional exercises 1 a 
little longer. Thou hast hardly got upon the tree and thou 
dost expect to lay hold on a cluster of its big fruits! 

. The redeeming feature of thy conduct is that 

Practice 6 ™ ' * '° ** com e tn of a laudable desire to do good to 

others." 

Saying this the Master boweth to Sasadhar and saith, "When 

I first heard thy name I asked people whether the Pandit 

was a mere scholar or a person who had 

eammg wiou attained discrimination 2 between the Real, 

Uiscrimmation . _ i\ • "i i 

z. e., God, and the unreal), in other words, a 
sense of the vanity of this world. 

"A man of learning without a sense of the vanity of this 
world is of no worth whatever. 

"Preaching doth no harm if there hath been a 
The Doctrine of A Jesa comman dment; if one hath received a com- 

— L.ommanament r 1 i i l l t i 

from God mission rrom the Lord to preach the 1 ruths 

of Religion. 
, "Made strong by such a Commission the 

(a) The Commissioned nil .1 1 11 

Teacher is invincible Preacher becometh one whom nobody can 

beat. 
"One ray of light coming from the Goddess of Wisdom, my 
Divine Mother, hath the power to turn great Pandits (men of 
the vastest book-learning) into the veriest worms that crawl 
upon the earth. 

"When the lamp is lighted, the insects that appear in num- 
bers in cloudy weather wait not till they are called in. They 
,.., _. • ■ , are sure to rush upon the flame of the lamp 

(o) The Commissioned •. 1 ■ 1 i 1 • 1 i • .1 

Teacher is known by Without anybody bidding them tO Come 

his perfect indifference A man with a Divine Commission doth not 

to organization." and look out for an audience. It is the audience 

his contempt for t k at l 00 k etn out for him. Such a person 

go -up meeingsan careth not to get up lecture -meetings and 

popular applause , to in l • e 

such things. People all must come to him or 
their own accord. His magnetic influence none can resist. 

"Then Princes and Babus all flock to him and ask him, 
'Lord, what wouldst thou take? Wouldst thou like to take 
these mangoes, these sweetmeats, gold, jewels, shawls?" and 

1 Sadhan. 2 Viveka. 



VISIT TO A HINDU "PANDIT AND "PREACHER 161 

so on. I say to such people, 'Away with you! No! Excuse 
me, I do not want anything.' 

Surely it is not for the magnet to invite pieces 
<f] Th 'MasUrth e of iron to be drawn to it These latter run to 

IdeaUTyagt (of , , , 

Sannyatin) and Teacher th e magnet because they must. 

Dost thou fear because such a teacher seemeth 
not to be learned, — seemeth not to be well up in the truths 

taught by the Sacred Books and other books? 

Ti2rand , ! n he Si0ned Dost thou fear becaus e he is not a Pandit 
Wisdom of Life (book-learned)? No! No! he never falleth 

short of the Wisdom of Life. He hath a 
never- failing supply of Divine Wisdom — truths directly 
revealed — which rise superior to the wisdom taught by the 
Books. In that part of the country, (i. e., where the Master 
was born and brought up) ye may often find people measur- 
ing grains lying in a heap. One man goeth on measuring 
with a standard measure. Another man pusheth the grains 
on to him as soon as he finisheth measuring the portion of the 
heap that is within his reach. Much in the same way the 
Divine Teacher receiveth his supply of Truths from the Foun- 
tain of All Wisdom, the Divine Mother. That supply is never 
used up. 

Should it be the rare good fortune of a person to be favored 
with one side-glance of love from the Lord, such a person 
becometh blessed at once with Divine Wisdom enough and 
to spare. 

Therefore I ask whether thou hast received any Command- 
ment 1 from the Lord?" 

Hazra (to the Pandit): — Oh, I dare say there must have 
been something of that kind. Is it not so? 

Pandit: — No! I am afraid there hath been no such thing. 

Host: — No Commandment He is lecturing from a sense 
of duty. 

Master: — What are lectures worth, if the lecturer hath not a 
good record; — a sufficient force of character derived from a 
Divine Commission? Some one said in the 
wLretfc^w" 8 course of a lecture, 'Brethren, I used formerly 
LaVJ JdZ'L to drink/ and so forth. This revelation only 
Commission made the position of the lecturer worse, for, 

some of the people said to themselves, 'Look 
at that fellow! What meaneth he by saying, "I used to drink?'" 

1 Adesha. 



162 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

A retired Sub-Judge from Barisal once said to me, 'Sir, do 
thou go about lecturing? In that event I shall be glad to follow 
suit and gird up my loins.' I said, 'My dear Sir, listen to a 
story. There is a tank called Haldar Pukur in the village of 
Kamarpukur. People used to throw dirt about the edge of 
the tank water. Every morning abuses were showered upon 
the head of those that offended. But it was all in vain. The 
act was repeated the following morning and went on as ever. 
At last there was a notice put up by a peon of the Munici- 
pality, forbidding people to commit such acts. The effect of 
this authoritative notice was miraculous. There was no more 
any repetition of such nuisance.' 

Therefore I say your lecturer must not be an ordinary man. 
He must be a person armed wtth credentials, — clothed with 
authority from the Most High. He must be one who hath 
received his Commission from Him. 

A teacher of mankind must possess sufficient spiritual power. 
In Calcutta there are many veteran wrestlers like Hanuman 
Puri. One must try one's strength on such men and not on 
the novices 2 in wrestling. 

Chaitanya Deva was, as we all know, an incarnation of God. 

Well, what remaineth of his work now? How infinitely less 

valuable must be the work of him who is 

How to receive a weak j^ irit and j^n received no Commis- 

(commandment from . r , T ■■ ^ 

the Lord sion hrom the Lord ? 

Therefore I say (and the Master sang, intoxi- 
cated with the Wine of Divine Love): — 

SONG 
Dive Deep 

I. Dive deep, dive deep, dive deep O my mind into the Sea of 
Beauty. 

Make a search in the regions lower, lower down under the sea; 
you will come by the jewel, the wealth of Prema (intense love of God), 
(See page 154,) 

Fear not, continued the Lord, at the end of the hymn, 
because I ask you to plunge, to dive deep into that Sea, Fear 

not. It is the Sea of Immortality. 
'Fear not' \ once said to Narendra, who is here present, 

'God is like a sea of liquid sweet. Wouldst 
thou not dive into this sea? Just think of a vessel with a wide 

1 Pailwans. 2 Patthas. 



VISIT TO A HINDU "PANDIT AND "PREACHER 163 

mouth containing the syrup of sugar, and suppose thou art a 

fly anxious to drink of the sweet liquid. Where shouldst you 

sit and. drink?' Narendra said that he should 

SeTofZZrtliuy } ike to drink from tne e( *ge oi tne vessel, for 

if he came to a point beyond his depth he 
was sure to be drowned. Thereupon I said to him, 'Thou 
forgettest, my son, that diving deep into the Divine See thou 
needst not be afraid of death.' Remember, Sachchidananda Sea 
(the Divine Sea) is the Sea of Immortality. The water of this 
Sea never causeth death but is Water of Everlasting Life. Be 
not afraid like some foolish persons that thou mayst 'run to excess' 
in thy love of God. 

From this Sea of Immortality drink the Chidananda Rasa — 
the nectar of Absolute 1 , Everlasting, Knowledge and Joy. 

Yes, first see Him, realize Him, in this way; then shalt thou 
hear His Voice. He will talk to thee and, if He so wisheth, 
will entrust thee with His Commission. 

Infinite is the number of Ways leading to the Sea 
The Way to the 'Sea f Immortality. 
°{ I u n ° 1 ^' \s n It is immaterial how thou gettest into this Sea. 

A Hope held out to all , . . > T . 

Religious Cults and ouppose there is a reservoir or nectar. It is 
Dispensations open to thee to walk slowly to the sloping 

bank from any point, get to the nectar and 
have a drink. Thou gettest immortal in any case. Again, 
what doth it signify if one throwest oneself into the reservoir 
or is pushed into it by somebody? The result in either case 
is the same. Thou tasteth the nectar — the Water of Life — 
in either case. Thou becomest immortal. 

The ways being numberless, Jnana, Karma, 
orConZTnZ ^ Bhakti, all lead to God, other things remain- 
ing the same. 
Yoga (communion with the Lord) is of three kinds: — 
1 . Jnanayoga. 2. Karmayoga. 3. Bhaktiyoga. 
1 . Jnanayoga. 

This is communion with God by means of Jnana, (Knowl- 
edge in its highest sense). The Jnani's object is to realize 
Brahman, the Absolute. He saith, 'Not this,' 'Not this,' and thus 
leaveth out of account one unreal thing after another until he 
getteth to a point where all (Vichara) discrimination between 
the Real (/. e., God) and the unreal ceaseth, and the Absolute 
(Brahman) is realized in Samadhi. 

1 Brahman. 



164 GOSPEL OF SRI <RA MA KRISHNA 

2. Karmayoga. 

This is communion with God by means of work- It is what 
thou art teaching. 

Ashtangayoga or Rajayoga is Karmayoga, if practised with- 
out attachment.* It leadeth to communion through medita- 
tion and concentration. 

The doing of duties by householders! — the doing them 
without attachment, to the end that God may be glorified — is 
Karmayoga. 

Again ('Puja') worship according to the Shastras, (Japa) 
silent repetition of the Name of God, and other Karma of the 
kind is Karmayoga, if done without attachment, for the glori- 
fication of God. 

The end of Karmayoga is the same, viz., the Realization of 
God, Impersonal or Personal (Nirguna or Saguna Brahman) 
or both. 

3. Bhaktiyoga. 

This is communion by means of love 1 , devotion and self- 
surrender. It is specially adapted to Kaliyuga, this age. 

This is the Law 2 for the present age. 

Pure work 3 without attachment, as I have already said, is 
exceedingly difficult in this age (Kaliyuga). 

In the first place, there is, as I have already 
CornZlL h Work* Pointed out, hardly time in this age for 
doing the various works laid upon us by 
the Holy Books 5 . 

In the second place, thou mayst form a resolution to work 
unattached, without expectation of any reward or fear of any 
punishment in this world or in the next. But the chances are 
that, knowingly or unknowingly, thou gettest attached to the 
fruit of thy works, unless indeed thou art already a perfect man. 

The path of Absolute Knowledge or Communion by Philos- 
ophy is also exceedingly difficult in this age. 
Difficulty of j n the first Jace> our Hfe 6 in this r e S ides, 

Communion by 1 • £ J 

Philosophy (Jnanayoga) SO to Speak, in tood. 

Secondly, the term of human life in this age 
is much too short for this purpose. 

1 Bhakti. 2 Yugadharma. 3 Karmayoga. 4 Karma. 5 Shastras. 6 Annagata-prana. 

* Ashtangayoga (of Patanjali) means Yoga with eight members or steps, viz., Yama (con- 
trol over thought, word, deed), Niyama (rules for conduct), Asana (control over the posture), 
Pranayama (control over prana or the breath of life), Pratyahara (introspection), Dharana 
(concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (God-consciousness). 

t Self-regarding or altruistic, social, political, etc. 



VISIT TO A HINDU 'PANDIT AND PREACHER 165 

Thirdly, it is almost impossible in this age to get rid of the 
conviction 1 that the self is the same as the body, — which clingeth 
to us. Now, what is the conclusion which the Jnani must come 
to? It is this: — 'I am not the body, gross or subtle. I am 
one with the Universal Soul, the Being Absolute and Uncon- 
ditioned. Not being the body, I am not subject to the neces- 
sities of the body — e. g., hunger, thirst, birth, death, disease, 
grief, pleasure, pain, etc.' 

One subject to the necessities of the body, and calling one- 
self a Philosopher is like a person suffering from intense pain 
caused by a thorny plant. It scratcheth and teareth the hand 
and causeth it to bleed. But he nevertheless saith, 'Why, my 
hand is not at all scratched or torn. It is all right.' 

Hence the path of communion 3 by love, devo- 
Bhaktiyoga the t ^ on anc j se lf- S urrender to God is the easiest 

Jnanayogao™ "^ of . * n Paths. It bringeth Karma (work) to a 
Karmayoga minimum. It teacheth the necessity of Prayer 

Without Ceasing. It is, in this age, the shortest 
cut leading to God. 

The meaning of this is that (1) Discrimination 4 between 

God, the only Reality, and the unreal phenomenal universe or 

(2) the doing 5 of Works, is far more difficult 

the Same Goal " * n ^is a ^ e than Bhakti as a method or path 

leading to God. 
It is not meant that the Goal is different. 

The Philosopher 6 , indeed, wanteth to realize God' Imper- 
sonal. What is meant is that such a person would, in this age, 
do better to follow the method of the Bhaktiyogi. Let him 
love, pray, surrender himself entirely to God. The Lord 
loveth his devotee and will vouchsafe unto him even the knowl- 
edge 9 of the Absolute if he hungereth and thirsteth after it. 

The Philosopher will thus realize God, both Personal and Im- 
personal. Only let him, in this yuga, follow the method of the Bhakta. 

The Bhaktiyogi, on the other hand, would be generally 

quite content with seeing, realizing, the Personal 10 God. The 

Lord would, however, make him heir of His 

Can the Bhakta attain I r • . /"■ 1 • . • . 1 • 1 11 £ 

Brahmanana? Infinite Lilones — grant into him knowledge ot 

both the Personal and the Impersonal". Both 
Jnana and Bhakti shall be his. 

1 Dehabuddhi. 2 Jnani. 3 Bhakti. 4 Jnana vichara. 5 Karma. G Jnanayoga. 7 Brahman 
Nirguna. 8 Bhakta-vatsal. ,J Brahmajnana. 10 The Saguna Brahman. u Saguna and 
Nirguna Brahman. 



166 GOSPEL OF SRITIAMAKRISHNA 

For doth not a person who manageth to reach Calcutta suc- 
ceed in finding his way to the Maidan, the Ochterlony Monu- 
ment, the Museum and other places, and know which is which? 

The important thing is to be able to come to Calcutta at all. 

Do but come to my Divine Mother and you will get not 
only Bhakti but also Jnana, not only Jnana but also Bhakti — 
not only see Her in Samadhi manifesting Herself in Forms 1 
Divine but also realize Her as the Absolute 2 in Samadhi, in 
which all self in the devotee is effaced by my Mother and 
there is no Manifestation of Divine Forms. 

The true Bhakta saith: 'Lord! work 3 with attachment, 1 see, 

is dangerous, for just as a man soweth, so must he reap. I see, 

again, that work without attachment is exceed- 

TheBhakta's ■ \ difficult. Save me from the first, Lord, 

Attitude towards r i iinr r r , i r~\ • 1 

Karma: his Prayer ror else 1 shall rorget 1 nee. Deign to make 
less and less what work I have, until by Thy 
Grace I see Thee and no work remaineth to be done. Till 
then, may it please Thee to grant that I may be blessed with 
that love, devotion and self-surrender to Thee which is the 
One Thing Needful. As for the little work that is left for my 
share, grown less and less by Thy Grace, do Thou grant that 
I may have strength to do it without attachment But until I 
am blessed with the Vision Divine and thus realize the true 
end of life, grant that my soul may not be disposed to look 
about for fresh work — unattached though it be — unless indeed 
I receive from Thee Thy commandment to do Thy work.' 

Pandit: — Please, Sir, how far didst thou go 

Vll^mZ^Work vs at>road on pilgrimage ? 

FaulTnJLove ' Master (smiling): — Well, I did go to some 

places. Hazra went farther, and higher up to 

Hrisikesha on the Himalayas. I did not go so far or so high up. 

The vulture and the kite, do, indeed, soar very high, but all 
the while their looks are fixed on the charnel-pits where the 
carcasses of dead animals are thrown. 

What is the good of visiting places of pilgrimage, — once 
thou art able to cultivate Bhakti (devotion to God)? 

When on my pilgrimage I visited Benares I was surprised 
to see that the grass there was the same grass as here, and 
that there were the same tamarind leaves! 

Pilgrimages, without love and devotion to God, carry no 
reward. With devotion within thy heart, it is not absolutely 

1 Sakara Rupa. 2 Nirvikalpa. 3 Karma. 



VISIT TO A HINDU "PANDIT AND "PREACHER 167 

necessary that thou must visit the holy places. Thou art very 
well where thou art. 

Love of God is the one thing needful. 

The charnel-pit is the World —which is another name for 
'Lust and Gold (riches, honors, fame, work with attachment, 
etc.)' 

The vulture and the kite are they that talk big and try to 
justify themselves by the doing of works 1 enjoined by the 
Holy Books 2 . All the while their mind is attached to the 
things of the world — riches, honors, sensual pleasures, etc. 

Pandit: — That is true, Sir, such pilgrimage is like setting at 
naught the jewel worn suspended on the breast of Vishnu the 
Second Person of the Hindu Trinity and going about search- 
ing for other jewels. 

Master: — In order that thy teaching should take effect thou 
shouldst take into account the Time Factor. Unless, in the 
_, , . , case of each individual, thou dost allow a 

Religious A wakening . • r . • i l • 

and the Time Factor certain space of time to go by, no teaching 
will bear fruit. Those that thou teachest will 
not, as a general rule, be able at once to profit by thy teach- 
ings unless their hour is come. 

Spiritual awakening is very much a question of time. The 
teacher is a mere help. 

Doctors are of three classes. 

There is one class of doctors who, when they are called in, 

look at the patient, feel his pulse, prescribe the necessary 

medicines, and then ask the patient to take 

RdTgio us TLchers them - If tne P atient declines to do so the 
doctor goeth away without further troubling 
himself about the matter. This is the lowest class of doctors. 
In the same way there are religious teachers who do not much 
care whether or not their teachings are valued or acted up to. 

The second class of doctors not only ask the patient to 
take the medicine, but they go further. They reason with 
him in case he taketh it not. In the same way, those religious 
teachers who leave no stone unturned to make other people 
walk in the ways of Righteousness and of Truth by means of 
the arts of gentle persuation must be said to belong to the 
next higher class. 

The third and highest class of doctors will use force on the 
patient in case their kind words fail. They will go the length 

1 Karma. - Shastras. 



168 . GOSPEL OF SRI <RA MA KRISHNA 

of putting their knee on the chest of the patient and forcing 
the medicine through his gullet. (Laughter?) 

In the same way, there are some religious teachers who 
would use force, if necessary, on their disciples, with a view 
to make them walk in the way of the Lord. These belong to 
the highest class. 

P&ndit: — So there are religious teachers, like doctors, of the 
highest class. Then, Sir, why dost thou say the time factor 
must be taken into account? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — There are doctors of the highest class. 
But, suppose, the medicine doth not get to the stomach. The 
doctors then, with all their zeal, are quite helpless. 

It is necessary to choose fit vessels 1 as the receptacles for 
Spiritual Truths. I ask those that come to me, 'Hast thou got 
any guardian to take care of thee ? ' For, sup- 
tL Tmth ° ^ C pose, the father hath left any debts. Suppose, 
the would-be disciple hath no one in the 
world to look after him. Then it would be next to impossible 
for such a person to fix his mind upon God. Dost thou hear, 
my child? 

Pandit: — Yes, Sir, all. I am all ears. 

The conversation then turneth on another subject, the 
Grace of God 2 . 

Master:— Once a number of Sikh soldiers came to the 
Temple. They had a meeting with me just before the Temple 
of the Divine Mother. They said, 'God is very kind/ I asked, 
smiling, 'Is it indeed so?' They replied, 'Why, Sir, doth not 
the Lord take care of His creatures, provide for their wants?' 
I said, 'The Lord is the Father of all. He must take care of 
His children — His own creatures. If He doth not, who else 
is there to take care of them? Surely it is not the duty of 
people of the "other quarter of the town" to come and feed 
God's own creatures!' 

Narendra: — Then should not the Lord be called Merciful? 

Master: — I don't forhid thee to call Him so. Thou art at 
liberty to call Him by that name. I only meant to say that 
The Lord is our own. 

Pandit: — Priceless are these words! 

Sri Ramakrishna (aside to a disciple): — Thou wast singing. 
But thy songs, this day, were to me tasteless as if from want 
of salt. I could not enjoy them. Yours was the condition of 

1 Pa tram. 2 Kripa. 



VISIT TO A HINDU 'PANDIT AND 'PREACHER 169 

a person looking for a situation through the recommendation 

of the master of the family. Hence I could not 

Obfects° r keep listening to the songs, but left the place. 

The disciple blushed. 
The Master here asked for a fresh glass of water. He would 
not take the one already offered, which was 
p "riiy therefore taken away. The Master, it ap- 

peared, looked upon it as unfit to be offered 
to the God in him — being made impure by the 'feverish' 
touch of some wicked man. 

Pandit (to Hazra): — You, gentlemen, the Master's constant 
associates, must always be in the midst of exceeding joy. 

Master (smiling): — This day I have had the 
The Parting rare pleasure of looking at the Moon of the 

Second (lunar day). I say Moon of the Second 
(lunar day) advisedly. 

Sita* said to Ravana, 'Thou art the full Moon and my Rama- 
chandra is the Moon of the Second (lunar day).' Ravana was 
highly pleased until the sense was explained to him. Sita 
meant to say that the fortune of Ravana had reached its 
climax, and that now it must be on the wane like the full 
Moon. Not so the fortune of Ramachandra which had reached 
only the Second (lunar day). His fortune like the Moon of 
the Second (lunar day) was not on the wane, but must ever 
grow day by day. Ramachandra must increase, but Ravana 
must decrease. 

Here the Master rising to depart, the Pandit and his frieeds 
bowed down before him. He then left the place, followed 
by his disciples. 

* Sita. the chaste and devoted wife of Ramachandra, who is regarded as an Incarnation 
of God. She was 'stolen' by Ravana, king of Ceylon, who brought her to his capital, Lanka. 
Hence the war described in the epic, Ramayana, which ended with the destruction of 
Ravana and many of his people. 



SECTION IX. 

1884 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT THE TEMPLE (DAKSHINESHWARA) 

Place — Dafashineshwara Thal^urbati, Calcutta 

Scene — The Master 's Room 

Date — 3d August, 1884, 2 P. M. to 9V 2 P. M. 

Present — Balaram, M., Rakhal ; Bauls* from Shibpur and visitors from 

Bhawanipur; Hazra; Adhar; Rama Chatterji, etc., etc. 

CHAPTER L 

The Master is seated on the lounge as usual with his face 
to the north. The western and the northern doors of his 
chamber look out on the sacred waters of the Ganges. The 
Bauls from Shibpur are seated on a mat spread on the floor 
of the room. They are singing hymns upon musical instru- 
ments — one of which was the well-known Gopijantra with one 
string, popularly called Bong-bonga-bong. They are seated with 
their faces towards the Master, i. e., towards the west. Others 
of the company are seated with their faces to the south and 
towards the Master. 

One of the songs hath a particular reference to the Six 
Lotus Wheels 1 marking the different stages of progress towards 
Union 2 with the Universal Soul. 

At the end of this song, the Master saith: — 

The six wheels mentioned in the Yoga system of the Tantras 
correspond with the seven mental planes mentioned in the 

Vedas. 
The su Wheds and When the minc j is i mme rsed in worldliness, it 

the Seven* Menial 11- l 1 • i 1 4 1 1 1 

Pl anes maketh its abode in 1st, the anus, Znd, the 

sexual organs 5 , and 3d, the naval 6 . 
In the 4th plane the abode of the mind is the heart 7 . The 
man is blessed with the Vision of Divine Glory 8 and crieth 
out, 'What is all this! What is all this?' 

In the 5th plane, the place of the mind is the throat . The 
devotee talketh only on subjects related to God and getteth 
impatient if any other subject cometh up before him in the 
course of conversation, 

1 Shad-chakra. 2 Yoga. 3 Sapta-bhumi. 4 Guhya- 5 Linga, « Nab hi. 7 Hridaya. 
8 Jyoti. 9 Kantha. 



* A sect of devout Hindus ; lit. mad for the Lord. 



A T>A Y A T T>AKSHINESHWA RA TEMPLE 1 7 1 

In the 6th plane the mind is localized between the eye- 
brows. The devotee cometh face to face with God; only a 
thin glass-like partition, so to speak, keepeth him apart from 
the Divine Person. To him God is like a light within a lan- 
tern or the photograph behind a glass-frame. He seeketh to 
touch the Vision, but he cannot. His perception falleth short 
of complete realization, for there is the element of self-con- 
sciousness 1 retained to a certain extent. 

In the last or the 7th plane it is perfect Samadhi Then all 
sense-consciousness ceaseth and pure God-consciousnes taketh 
its place. In this state the life of the Saint lingereth for twenty- 
one days, after which he passeth away. During these days 
he ceaseth to take any food. Milk, if poured into his mouth, 
runneth out and never getteth into his stomach. 

The Master continueth: — 

Some who may have got on to the seventh or the highest 
plane and have thus become lost in God-consciousness are 
pleased to come down from that spiritual 
Knowledge W " height with a view to the good of mankind. 

They keep the Ego 2 (I) of Knowledge or, in 
other words, the Higher Self. But this Ego is a mere appear- 
ance. It is like a line drawn across a sheet of water. 

Hanuman was blessed* with the vision of God both with 5 
form and without 4 form. But he retained the Ego of a servant 
of God. 

Such was also the case with the Saints — Narada, Sanaka, 
Sananda and Sanatkumara. 

Here the question was asked whether Narada and others 
worshipped God as dualists and did not realize Him as God 
the Absolute. 

The Master saith: — 

Narada and others had attained the Highest Knowledge 6 . 
But still they went on like the murmuring waters of the rivulet 
to talk and to sing. This showeth that they too kept this Ego 
of Knowledge. 

They were knowing ones' and also devotees ; they talked 
and sang about the Lord with a view to the good of others. 

A 'steam-boat' not only getteth to its own place of destination, 
but also carrieth numbers of people on board to the same place. 

1 Aham. 2 Vidya. 3 Sakar. 4 Nirakar. 5 Bhaktas. 6 Brahmajnana. 7 Jnanis. 
* Adhyatma Ramayana, etc. 



172 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Preceptors like Narada are like 'steam-boats.' 
The highest teachers 1 may be divided into two classes: — 
1 st. Those 2 that declare the Supreme Being as the Formless 
One. Trailinga Swami belongeth to this class. Generally 
speaking, holy men of this class are compara- 
H^stfealhe^ / tivel ? selfisll > so to s P ea k. They care only for 
Mlkij: a the Higher £e liberation of their own soul. 
Self after Realization Those or the second class say that God is 
with Form as well as Formless, and that He 
_, %a manifesteth Himself to His devotees as a 

/ he Master on r> • •.it - ' 

Himself- a Hint ff 11 ^ Wlth Forms. 

Have you ever seen a water-passage running 
over with the water of the river with which it is joined? 

The passage hath sometimes no trace left, being entirely 
one with the river- water. But very often there may be noticed 
a slight movement in its water which proveth its separateness 
from the river-water. 

Pretty much the same is the case with the teacher belong- 
ing to the second class. His soul becometh one with the 
Universal Soul. Still there is this Ego of Knowledge kept on — 
a slight trace of individuality to mark his separate existence 
from the Deity. 

Again, such a teacher may be compared to a jar or pitcher 
of water when it is filled to the brim. At the same time its 
contents or part of its contents may be transferred to another 
vessel. The disciple is the second vessel. The pitcher filled 
to the brim indicates the perfect state derived from the 
Highest Knowledge 4 . 

Thus the Ego of Knowledge is kept for the purpose of 
teaching others the saving truths of Religion. 

Again, suppose a person diggeth a well. He is thirsty and 
drinketh of the water of the well. It is not unusual for such a 
person to keep with him the digging implements, e. g., the 
hoe, the shovel, the spade, etc., for the sake of others who 
may want them for the same object. In the same way a 
teacher of the second class who may have drunk the waters 
of Everlasting Life and who may have thus quenched his 
spiritual thirst (?. e., come to the perfection of Brahmajnana) 
is often anxious to do good to mankind. With this view he 
retaineth the Ego of Knowledge, the Ego of Bhakti, the Ego of 
Preceptor. 

1 Paramahamsas. 2 Nirakar-vadi. 3 Sakar-vaclis. 4 Brahmajnana. 



A T>A Y A T <DAKSHINESHWARA TEMPLE 1 73 

Some persons eat mangoes and take away all traces of eat- 
ing by wiping their mouth with a towel. These persons care 
only for their own selves. But there are others who are sure to 
share the mangoes with other people whenever they eat them. 

This was precisely the mental attitude of the Gopis of 
Brindaban. They always desired to retain the power of tasting 
the Love of Sri Krishna. To them He was the Thing 1 to be 
enjoyed, i. e., spiritually. They wanted to be the persons 2 
enjoying. So sang Rama Prasad, 'I would much prefer to eat 
the sugar to being the sugar itself.' 

It is a case of Involution and Evolution. Ye go backwards 3 
to the Supreme Being and your personality becometh lost in 
_ . , His Personality. This is Samadhi. Ye then 

Involution and ,4 -\y . l i 

Evolution retrace your steps. Ye get back your ego 

(Personality) and come back to the point 
whence ye started only to see that the world and your ego or 
self were involved in the same Supreme Being, and that God, 
Man and Nature (or the world) are mere identities, so that if 
ye hold to one of them ye realize the others. 

Call with Bhakti upon His hallowed Name and the mountain 
of your sins shall go out of sight; much as a mountain of cotton 
will burn up and vanish if it but catcheth one spark of fire. 

The worship from fear, e. g., of hell-fire, is intended for the 
beginner. Some people talk of sin and sin only. Take 
_, rc , popular Christianity and Brahmaism. Now 

/ he Doctrine of Sin , i ^i • • i p> A i 1 

and Worship from Fear th f s % Christians and Brahmas as a general 
_ , _. rule look upon the sense of sins as the whole 

Popular Christianity c i • • nri • 1 1 f 1 1 

and Brahmaism ot religion. 1 heir ideal of a devotee is he 

who can pray, ' Lord, I am a sinner; deign to 
forgive my sins. ' They forget that the sense of sin marketh only 
the earliest and a lower stage of spirituality. There is yet a 
higher ideal, a higher stage of spirituality, — viz., the Love of 
God as our Father or Mother. 

People do not see the force of habit 5 . If thou sayest eter- 
nally 'I am a sinner,' 'I am a sinner,' thou wilt remain a sinner 
to the end of the chapter! 

One who saith, 'I am bound to the world,' 'I am bound,' 
will go on to be in bondage indeed for ever! 

But that man is free who saith, 'I am free 7 from the bondage 
of the world; I am free. Is not the Lord our own Father?' 

Such is the great force of habit. 

1 Rasa. 2 Rasika. 3 Anulom. 4 Vilom. 5 Abhyasa. 6 Baddha. 7 Mukta. 



174 GOSPEL OF SRI <RA MA KRISHNA 

CHAPTER II. 

Then turning to some of the company present that were 

singing, he said, "Will ye sing songs which have for their 

burden the enjoyment by the human soul of 

Intoxication with the /""l V 1 "\ I Dill ( Vl 1 * 1 

us- /n-,- / v, Caod realized.-' 1 say, Kaknal — (this he said 

Wine of Divine Love r l • l • • l \i 

to one or his young disciples present) dost 
thou remember the song sung the other day at Nobin Neogi's 
house, viz., 'Be intoxicated with the Joy of the Lord?'" 

One of the company then said, "Sir, may we be favored 
with one of thy songs?" The Lord saith, "What shall I sing? 
— Well, I sing pretty much like yourselves. Very well, when 
the time cometh I shall sing." 

So saying he remaineth silent for a while. 



The first five songs that he sings are about Sri Chaitanya 
Deva and Sri Krishna, that is from the point of view of the 
Vaishnavas. Of the last three songs the burden is the God- 
dess 1 of the Universe. They were as follows: — 

SONG I 
The Devotee and Her Ecstatic Love 2 for Chaitanya Deva, the God Incarnate 

1 . The waves of the love of Gour come dashing against my body. 
The swell of His Sea of Love causeth the fall of the unrighteous : 
nay, the Universe itself goeth down. 

2. I thought of stopping on the shore. But there is the alligator — 
the ecstatic love of Gour Chand which swalloweth me. Is there any- 
body that feeleth for me and will take me by the hand and drag me 
out of the water? 

SONG II 

The Devotee and Her Ecstatic Love for Chaitanya Deva 

1. Come, O my friend, look on the fair form of Gour! Behold, it 
is the Lightning that has become one with the Dark Cloud* ! 

2. Here is a Man made of gold (so fair he is). The sea of his 
heart is moved incessantly into waves of tender feelings. The tender- 
ness of his loving heart hath made his fair form broken 3 in three 
different directions. So my mind hath been captured by the sight of 
Gour, especially of his bewitching glances. 

1 Kali. 2 Prema. 3 Tribhanga. 

* Krishna is the Dark Cloud ; Radha is the Lightning, The two have been made into 
one, viz., Gour Chaitanya. 



Ji <DAY AT <DAKSHINESHWARA TEMPLE 1 75 

3. The body of my Gour is rubbed over with mixture of curds 
and the red alta dissolved in water*. At the sight of this Fair Form 
my tender feelings of love 1 are stirred up. The maker of this Fair 
Form is Bhangad (Siva) and the architect is Radha. 

SONG III 
The God of Love; or 'Dive Deep* 

1. Dive deep, dive deep, dive deep, O my mind into the Sea of 
Beauty. 

Make a search in the regions lower and lower down under the sea; 
thou wilt come by the jewel, the wealth of Prema (intense love of God). 

2. Within thy heart is Brindaban, the abode of God Who is Love. 
Search and look; search and look; search and look. Thou wilt find it. 

Then shall burn, without ceasing, the Lamp of Divine Wisdom. 

3. Who is that Being that doth steer a boat on land — on land, on 
solid ground? 

Saith Kabir, ' Listen, listen, listen ! Meditate on the hallowed Feet 
of the Divine Preceptor 2 .' 

SONG IV 
The Mother of the Universe and the Difficulty of Realization 

1. Is it given to everybody to be blessed with such Wealth as my 
Mother? 

It is beyond the power of religious austerities ever practised by 
Siva to cause the mind to be immersed in the contemplation of Her 
hallowed crimson feet. 

2. The wealth of princes, potentates and powers like the God 3 of 
Heaven, is beneath the contempt of him who meditateth upon my 
Mother. 

He is set afloat upon joy everlasting, once my Mother of the dark- 
blue color turneth back and looketh at him. 

3. The King of Yogis 3 , the King of Ascetics 4 and the God 5 of 
Heaven meditate in vain upon Her hallowed feet — so difficult is it 
to realize them. 

Kamalakanta is devoid of all virtues. But he still longeth for the 
vision of those Messed feet I 

SONG V 
The Mother of the Universe; Liberation 6 and Love 1 of God 

1 . What a nice machine hath Mother of the dark-blue color made, 
what a nice machine hath Mother made — the Consort of the God of 
Eternity ! 

What splendid tricks is She playing in the machine which is but 
three and a half cubits in length! i. e., (the body). 

2. Herself within the ' machine,* She it is Who holdeth in Her 
hand the string which setteth it in motion; but the 'machine' saith. 

1 Bhakti, etc 2 Guru. 3 Siva. * Munist. 5 I n d ra . € MukrL 

* Alta — round-shaped cotton leaves impregnated with lac. 
+ Ascetics who observe a vow of silence. 



1 76 GOSPEL OF SRI %AMAKRISHNA 

4 It is I that am moving of my own accord.' It knoweth not who 
causeth it to move. 

3. The ' machine * that hath realized Her will not be required to 
be a machine the next time. Mother Herself is bound to certain 
particular ' machines ' by the string of Bhakti (love). 

The Master is singing of the Mother of the Universe. At 
the end of the song, he is in Samadhi. 

The eyes are fixed and half closed. The functions of the 
corporeal frame are suspended. Sense-consciousness hath 
left him, giving place to pure God-consciousness. 

CHAPTER III. 

REVELATIONS AFTER SAMADHI. THE MASTER'S SERMON 

Returning a little to his senses, he talketh to the Holy 
Mother saying, "Don't trouble, O Mother! Come down to 
this place. Be still, O Mother. 

"What is by Thee, — O Mother! — pre-arranged 
byGo™ 2 * n me case °f everybody, that alone shall come 

to pass ! What shall / say to these people ? 
"Nothing can be achieved in the path of spirituality without 
discrimination 1 between the Real (God) and the unreal or 

phenomenal universe or non- attachment to 
How to Know God riches, honors, sensual pleasures, etc. 

"Non-attachment is of many kinds. One kind 
of non-attachment springeth from the acute pain due to 
worldly misery. But the better kind ariseth from conscious- 
ness that all worldly blessings, though within one's reach are 
transitory and are not worth enjoying. Thus, having all, he 
hath not anything. 

"Everything resteth upon Time. For all religious awaken- 
ing we must wait. At the same time the precepts of a religious 
_ , . _ teacher should be listened to. One may be 

Religious Awakening . • • 1 £ .1 . £ *_ 

and the Time Factor P Ut in mind ot theSe P*eceptS Oil a hlture 

occasion and then one would probably cry 
out, saying, 'O! I heard this from such and such person at 
such and such a time.' Another reason is, — our worldliness 
might gradually wear off as the result of our listening to these 
precepts from day to day. Our worldliness is like the intoxi- 
cation caused by wine which goeth off gradually if doses of 
rice-water are taken by the drunkard. 

1 Viveka. 2 Vairagya. . 



J <DAY AT 'DAKSHINESHWA RA TEMPLE 1 77 

"The number of those who attain Divine Wisdom is very 

limited. So in the Gita, 'Out of thousands only one doth 

.-_■."" , strive for Knowledge; and out of a thousand 

Limited Number of 1 1 . • -• e ir 1 1 1 

Seers 1 of God such P e °pl e striving tor Knowledge only one 

succeedeth in reaching the Goal."' 

One of the company present, here quoted the text* in the Gita. 

Master: — The more is a person's attachment to the world 

the less is he likely to attain Divine Wisdom. The less his 

... , , , attachment the more is the probability of his 

Divine Wisdom* and .• i • 1 nni • -\ i 

Non-attachment getting such wisdom. 1 hus, wisdom may be 

said to vary directly as non-attachment to the 
world, its riches, its pleasures, etc., and inversely as attach- 
ment to the world. 

Bhava is the state of being struck speechless at the thought 
of realization of the Supreme Being (of Whom the only things 
that can be predicated are Existence, Absolute 
Stages of spirituality Knowledge and Bliss). Bhava is the utmost 
point that can be reached by ordinary mortals. 
Ecstatic Love 3 of God is attainable only by a few. They are 
human beings with extraordinary original powers and entrusted 
with a Divine Commission. Being Heirs of Divine Powers 
and Glories they form a class of their own. 

To this class belong Incarnations of God like Chaitanya 
Deva and their worshippers of the highest order, who are 
their "members.' 

The two characteristics of this Love are, first, the forgetful- 
ness of the external world and, second, the forgetfuJness of 
one's own body, — so very dear to one. 

Bhava is like the unripe mangoe, Prema is like the ripe 
mangoe. This Love is like a string in the hands of the wor- 
shipper 4 which bindeth God. The devotee holdeth the Lord 
under his control, so to speak. The Lord must come to him 
whenever he calleth out to Him. 

In Persian books it is written that within the flesh are the 
bones, within the bones is the marrow, within the marrow is, 
etc., etc., and that last and innermost of all is this Love of God. 

Krishna is called Tribhanga, i. e., broken in three different 
directions. It is only a soft thing that is capable of changing 
its form. So this triangular form of Krishna implieth that he 

1 Jnanis. 2 Jnana. 3 Prema. 4 Bhaktas. 

* Manushyanam Sahasreshu Kashchit Yayati Siddhaye. 
Yatatamapi siddhanam kashchinmam vetti tattvatah. 



1 78 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

must have been softened in some way or other. The soften- 
ing in this case is accounted for by this Love. 

How to pray is the next question. Let us not pray for things 
of this world, but pray like the saint Narada. Narada said to 
Ramachandra, 'O Rama, grant that I may be favored with 
Bhakti (love, devotion and self-surrender) to the Lotus of Thy 
Feet/ 'Be it so, Narada,' said Rama. 'But will not thou ask 
for anything else?' Narada replied, 'Lord, may it please Thee 
to grant that I may not be attracted by Thy Maya, which fas- 
cinateth the Universe.' Ramachandra saith once more, 'Be it 
so, Narada; but will not thou ask for anything else?' Narada 
replied, 'No, Lord, that is all I pray for.' 

Knowledge varieth in degree and kind. There is first 
knowledge belonging to men of the world — ordinary mortals. 
This knowledge is not sufficiently powerful. It may be likened 
to the flame of a lamp which only lighteth the inside of a 
room. The knowledge of a devotee 1 is a stronger light and 
may be compared to the light of the moon which causeth to 
be visible things outside of a room as well as those inside of it. 

But the knowledge of the Incarnation of God is still more 
powerful. It may thus be likened to a yet stronger light, viz., 
the resplendent glory of the sun! Such light causeth to be 
visible the minutest things both outside and inside of a room. 
Nothing is problematic to Him. He solveth the most difficult 
problem of life and the soul as the simplest things in the 
world ! His exposition of the most intricate questions in which 
man is interested is such as a child can follow. He is the Sun 
of Divine Knowledge whose light taketh away the accumu- 
lated darkness of ages! 

Lastly, there is that unique composite light which may be 

called the Luni-solar Light — a light made up both of the light 

of the moon and of the light of the sun. To 

The Master indirectly t \^ s cornp0 site ligth may be compared the 

Describeth Himself. • "w/ - 1 £ I ».* 1*1 /""l •*_ 

Chaitanua Deva owner uni Q ue Wisdom or Incarnations like Chaitanya 
of both Diome Wisdom Deva, who are marked alike by Wisdom and 
and Divine Love Love, strictly so called. It is unique like the 

The Worldly Man ^un and the Moon appearing in the firmament 
and His Hope at one and the same time. 

The man immersed in worldliness cannot 
attain Wisdom Divine. He cannot see God. Doth the muddy 
water ever reflect the sun or any surrounding object? 

1 Bhakta. 



A T>A Y A T TtAKSHINESHWARA TEMPLE 1 79 

Is there no remedy for this state of things? Is there no 
hope for the worldly man? Yes, there certainly is. 

If ye drop a purifying agent, say, a piece of alum, into 
muddy water, the water is purified and the impurities all 
settle down upon the bottom of the vessel. Discrimination 1 of 
the Real (God) from the unreal (/'. e., the phenomenal uni- 
verse) and non-attachment to the world are the two purifying 
agents. Thus it is that the worldly man ceaseth to be worldly 
and becometh pure. 
_,.-,, , , First stage: — The mixing 2 in good company, 

The Six Steps leading . .1 r . j j j 

to Realization of God '• e > ™ e company of the holy. 

Second stage: — Admiration for higher things, 
i. e., things relating to the spirit. 

Third stage: — Single-minded 4 devotion to ones Ideal. The 
Ideal may be one's Spiritual Precdptor 5 . The Ideal may be 
the Formless. 

The Ideal may be God Personal or any of His innumerable 
Manifestations. It may be one's tutelary God or Goddess. 
The worshippers of Vishnu have this devotion to their tutelary 
God, Vishnu or Sri Krishna. The Shaktas or the worshippers 
of Shakti (the Goddes that rules the Universe) have this 
Nishtha for Shakti, also known as Kali, Durga, etc. 

Fourth stage: — The state 6 of being struck speechless at the 
thought of God. 

Fifth stage: — This state is intensified when the feeling of 
devotion reacheth the highest point 7 after God-vision. The 
devotee sometimes laugheth, sometimes weepeth, like a mad 
man. He loseth all control over his body. This stage is not 
attained by ordinary human beings who are not capable of conquering 
the flesh. It is reached by Incarnations of God alone who 
appear in this world for the salvation of mankind. 

Sixth stage: — Prema goes hand in hand with Mahabhava. 
Prema is the most intense Love of God after Realization and 
is strictly the Highest Stage of spirituality. The two marks of 
this stage are, first, the forgetfulness of this world; second, a 
forgetfulness of the self which includeth one's own body. 

Chaitanya Deva who reached this stage was so much lost 
iu the Love of God that he often forgot himself and forgot the 
identity of the places where he had been before. Observing 
a forest before him, he so far forgot himself as to think that it 

1 Viveka. 2 SaJhu-Sanga. 3 Shraddha. 4 Nishtha. 5 Guru. 6 Bhava. 7 Mahabhava. 



180 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

was Brindaban*. He looked at the sea while at Puri and took 
it for the Jumna. In this state he would throw himself into 
the sea and was on two or three occasions given up for lost 
by his friends and disciples. This stage leadeth the devotee to 
the Goal, viz., to God. The devotee seeth God. He attaineth 
the End of Life. He is blessed with the Vision Divine. 

After having delivered himself of this sermon the Master 
said to the company present, "If you have any question to 
put to me you are welcome to do so." But none present 
came forward to do so. So the Master went on saying: — 

Knowledge 1 cannot be communicated all at once. Its attain- 
ment is a question of time. Suppose a fever is of a severe 
type. The doctor could not give quinine 
•jlS^/n.wwI,! under such circumstances. He knows that 

Spiritual Discipline ill 1 -ri c 

such a remedy would do no good. 1 he rever 
must first leave the patient, which depends upon time, and 
then the quinine would be useful. Sometimes the fever would 
go off without your having to give the patient quinine or any 
other medicine. Precisely the same is the case with a man 
who seeks for knowledge. To him religious precepts often 
prove useless so long as he is immersed in worldliness. Allow 
him a certain period for enjoyment of the things of the world; 
his attachment to the world will gradually wear off. This is 
exactly the time for the success of any religious instructions 
that may be given to him. Till then they would be as good 
as entirely thrown away. 

Many come to me, and I have observed how some of them 
are anxious to listen to my words. But one or two of the 
company appear to be restless and impatient in my presence. 
They say to their friends in whispers, 'Let us go, let us go. — 
Well, if you mean to stay we had better go into the boat and 
wait for you.' 

It is difficult to drive nails into a pucca wall (a wall made up 
of bricks and mortar). The head of the nails would be 
broken sooner than make any impression upon the wall. 

It is idle to strike the, crocodile with the sword. The 
chances are that the sword will not make a cut. 

Therefore I say that the element of time is an important 
factor in all these matters. 

1 Jnana. 

* Brindaban, — the land where Krishna incarnated Himself. 



A T>A Y A T TiAKSHINESHWARA TEMPLE 1 8 1 

Spiritual awakening is very much a question of time. The 
teacher is a mere help. 

The meeting then broke up. 

Master (to M.) — The fact is, a great deal of all this desire 
for knowledge 1 or for freedom 2 depends upon one's Karma in 

one's previous incarnations. 
Karma Disciple: — Yes, Sir, it is so difficult to under- 

stand one's self! We see the self only as it 
appears to us. Behind it there might be a hundred previous 
incarnations. We walk upon the floor of a house but we 
never stop to see how it was made and what various things 
are beneath it. 

The Master smileth on the disciple and leaveth his seat. 
He cometh out into the verandah next to the western door of 
his room, and for a time looketh on the sun which is going 
down rapidly towards the horizon. He looketh on the holy 
waters of the sacred stream before him. 



CHAPTER IV. 
MASTER AND DISCIPLE 

A Revelation in the Flesh : Scene — Panchavati 

A disciple is walking alone along the pucca embankment of 
the Temple on the side of the Holy Mother Ganges. He is 
watching Balaram and others getting into a boat with a view 
to get back home to Calcutta. It being a day in midsummer, 
the sacred waters of the river are broken into waves. The 
day is drawing to its close. It is past five. The sky is cloudy 
and the clouds present a most charming sight, especially in 
the northern direction. The witness of the scene — the dis- 
ciple — has before him in the foreground of the picture the 
Panchavati backed by a line of tall willow trees, with the 
silver stream flowing past on their right. In the background 
are the beautiful dark-blue clouds, and also the dark stream 
underneath. 

The disciple is looking on this charming scene. Suddenly 
his attention is arrested by the Master coming on from the 
south in the direction of Panchavati, and those well-known 
willow trees. 

1 Jnana. 2 Mukti. 



182 GOSPEL OF SRI <RA MA KRISHNA 

As the Master smiled like a child five-years old and came 
up, the charming picture appears more than complete ! There 
is the Universe on the one hand and the One Soul that on the 
other hand that reflects that Universe and sees it as it actually 
is. Yes, the disciple feels that in that Presence he is as near the 
solution of the Problem of Life as can be. It is this Presence 
which makes everything — the images of Gods and Goddesses 
— men, women, children — trees, flowers, leaves — every inch 
of ground in that Temple instinct with spirituality and full of 
the Joy of the Lord. Yes, true enough he feels that it is the 
God -man before him that has thrown an irresistible charm 
over everything in that wonderful place — over every object, 
divine or human, animate or inanimate — seen by the outer or 
by the inner eye — from the dust under his hallowed Feet to 
those Sacred Images worshipped in the Temple or perceived 
by looking within that other temple, the Body of Man, that 
veritable 'Revelation in the Flesh.' He feels like one spell- 
bound in that Presence! 

Saith the Lord to the disciple: "Do thou expect a shower? 
Well, get for me the umbrella, wilt thou?" 

He runs to the Master's room and presently comes back 
with the umbrella. Thereupon the following conversation is 
held at the foot of the Panchavati. 

Master (to the disciple): — Let me entrust thee with this 
commission; thou art to tell B. that when R. leaveth this place 
he must come and stay here for a day or two. Otherwise my 
mind shall be very unhappy. What sort of a boy dost thou 
find B. to be? 

Disciple: — hie is remarkably mild and gentle. 

Master: — Is he guileless 1 or not? 

Disciple: — To all appearance not perfectly guileless 1 . But I 
think this may be explained. A person of a mild disposition 
keeps his thoughts and feelings to himself. He is never 
demonstrative. 

By this time the Lord hath come back to his own quarters. 

Before Hazra 

A Doctor 2 is also present. This gentleman makes an excel- 
lent preparation of Haritalabhasma (calx of the sulphate of 
arsenic). Upon seeing him the Lord saith, "His medcine suits 

1 Sarala. 2 Kabiraj. 



A T)A Y A T VAKSHINESHWARA TEMPLE 1 83 

me wonderfully. The man is a right man." Thereupon Hazra 
saith, "Quite so, Sir; but samsara (the world) is forced upon 
him. He cannot help it." 

Hazra commented rather severely on the 
CoioreZuh Ochre ochre-colored cloth worn by old Nabai Chai- 

tanya. A man of the world to wear a garua! 
How shocking! The Master saith, "I really don't know what 
to say! There is, however, one consolation for me. I look 
upon all human beings, — in fact all creatures — as incarnations 
of the Deity. I see God evolved into all things, God manifest 
in everything — in man and Nature. I see God Himself hath 
taken these multifarious forms that appear before our eyes 
in this universe!" 

Hazra: — Narendra is once more involved in 

Narendra a lawsuit. 

Master: — Yes, but he believeth not in the 
Goddess 2 of the Universe (Personal God with Forms). 

Hazra: — Precisely; he saith, 'If I believe in Shakti I should 
be setting a bad example to those that would follow me/ 

Master: — Well, what thinkest thou is the extent of the good 
that he deriveth from here (f. e., from himself.) 

Hazra: — Thou lovest him. 

Master (to M.): — "Didst not thou meet him (Narendra) any 
of these days? Wilt thou just see him at his house! O, do 
bring him here along with thee in a carriage, wilt thou?" Then 
turning to Hazra the Master saith, "What thinkest thou of 
Bhabanath and his attachment to me? Is this not a case again 
of tendencies 3 acquired in one's previous incarnations?" 

Talking of H. and Latu and referring to their habit of inces- 
sant meditation 4 , the Master saith to Hazra, "What are all 
these? No end of meditation 4 ! What sayest thou?" 

Hazra: — Quite so. Had they been engaged in thy service, 
that would have been a different matter altogether. 

Master (pleading): — Well, possibly, their period of dis- 
cipline being over, somebody else will take their place*. 

What thinkest thou of me? Dost thou not see that some- 
times I have single-minded devotion 5 , to, say, the Goddess of 
the Universe, and sometimes not? Then I go in for all sorts 
of Gods and Goddesses and adore them with an equal degree 

1 Grihastha. 2 Shakti. 3 Samskara. 4 Dhyana. 5 Nishtha. 

* The Lord meant Hazra himself, who then prided on his 'Nishtha.' 



184 QOSPEL OF SRI KAMAKR1SHNA 

of devotion. Sometimes again I meditate upon God 1 the 
Absolute. I am sometimes a chaste wife and sometimes not. 
Is this not curious? Other people are actuated by a peculiar 
feeling of their own. For instance, the ruling feeling with one 
is the love of Krishna, of another is the love of Rama, of a 
third the communion with God the Absolute, and so on. 
Hazra held his peace. 

It was evening. After the usual prayers 2 and other religious 
exercises that are enjoined on the pious Hindu there was yet 
another meeting between the Master and the disciple above 
referred to. 

The following dialogue then took place. The subject was 
the apparently contradictory systems of religious faith amongst 
the Hindus. 

Disciple: — Lord, is this a contradiction, some amongst the 
Hindus holding that Sri Krishna is identical with the Mother 
of the Universe 3 and others holding that Sri Krishna is God 
the Absolute 4 and Radha is the Goddess who ruleth the Uni- 
verse, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer? 

Master: — The former view is that of certain scriptures 5 . Be 
it so, but there need be no contradiction; God is Infinite. 
Infinite are the Forms in which* He manifesteth Himself! 
Infinite also is the number of ways leading to Him! 

Disciple: — Oh, I see! The end in view is how to get on to 
the roof of the house. The means may be different. It may 
be, Lord, as thou often sayest, a single rope, a bamboo, a 
wooden ladder or a pucca staircase! 

Master: — Quite so. That thou seest this at once is due to the 
special Grace of God. Without His Grace doubt 6 is never cleared 
up. The fact is, our attitude with respect to God should be 
like that of Hanumana who said to Ramachandra, 'Lord, I 
care not for the phases 7 of the moon or for the appearance of 
stellar constellations on particular days 8 . What alone I am 
concerned with is how to meditate upon Rama.' 

Suppose thou goest into a garden to eat man- 

Neldfui — Bhahti goes. Is it necessary for thee, first, to count 

the number of trees in the garden, which may 

be many thousands, or the number of branches of those trees, 

1 Akhanda Sachchidananda. 2 Nitya Karma. 3 Kali or Chit Shakti. 4 Atman. 5 Devi 
Purana. 6 Samsaya. 7 Tithis. 8 Nakshatras. 



A 'DAY AT <DAKSHINESHWARA TEMPLE 185 

which may be tens of thousands, or lastly, the number of 
leaves, which may be hundreds of thousands ? Certainly not. 
Thou shouldst at once, on the contrary, proceed to eat. In the 
same way, it is useless to enter into all sorts of discussions 
and controversies regarding God which would only cause a 
waste of time and energy. Instead of thus throwing away 
one's time, one's present and most important duty — the duty 
that is nearest to one — is to love God — to cultivate Bhakti or 
devotion. 

Disciple: — I should greatly desire that my work in the world 
should become a little less than now. The pressure of work 
standeth in the way of one's giving one's 
Work in the World mind to God, does it not? 

Master: — Oh yes, no doubt, that is so; but a 
wise man may work unattached and then work would not do 
any harm to him. 

Disciple: — But that dependeth upon a tremendous power of 
will derived from the realization of God, i. e., called forth by 
God-vision. First, the realization of God; then, work without 
attachment. Is it not so, Lord? 

Master: — I must say thou art right. But the probability is 
that thou must have desired for these things in previous 
incarnations. Thy duty now is to pray without ceasing for 
Bhakti or Love of God so that the bondage of work shall 
gradually fall off. 

Disciple (heaving a sigh): — It seemeth to me this is like 
locking the stable door after the horse hath run away! 

Master: — Dost thou ever feel the Joy of the Lord? 



Master: — Try to follow the precept 2 , viz., one should avail 

oneself that come naturally in one's way withont one's having 

to put forth any efforts for the attainment 

The Joy of the Lord. Q f those tningSi Xake no thought for things 

'* no Thought for c , , . , ° , . , j 

the Morrow °r tnat kind (saving against the rainy day, 

etc., etc.) 
Are people drawn towards me by the attractive nature of what 

I say? What do they think of me? What 
of Me? " €S °" dost thou feel when thou lookest on me? 

Disciple: — Here I find in one and the same 
person the highest divine knowledge 3 , the intensest love 4 of 

1 Jnani. 2 Jadrichcha-lava. 3 Jnana. 4 Prema. 



186 GOSPEL OF SRI ftAMAKRISHNA 

God, the highest renunciation 1 and withal a marvellous simpli- 
city 2 . This simplicity is what keepeth people back. The mul- 
titude turn away from such a simple and, what seemeth to 
them, such an ordinary man. But it is precisely this which 
causeth a select few to be drawn towards thee! To them the 
wonder is that it is possible for a person to keep up simplicity 
in spite of spiritual perceptions of a magnitude that riseth 
above all human comprehension! Men-of-war have passed 
through the river and still it looketh no better than a small 
creek or rivulet. 

Master (smiling): — There is a Vaishnava sect among the 

Hindus, hailing from Ghosh Parah. They say thou canst not 

get at the Sahaj (the Pre-eminently-Simple, 

Himself — A° Hint namely, God) unless thou hast thyself become 

Sahaj. 
Have I any egotism 3 ? 

Disciple: — Yes, a little, and that little hath been kept with a 
view to the following objects: first, the preservation of the 
body; second, the culture of Bhakti, or devotion to God; 
third, the desire to mix in the company of devotees 4 ; fourth, 
the desire to give instruction to others. At the same time, it 
must be said that thou hast kept all these after a good deal of 
Prayer. My idea is that the natural state of thy Soul is capable 
of being described only by the word Samadhi. Hence I say 
that the egotism that thou hast is the result of Prayer. 

Master: — -Yes, but it is not I that have \ept it (this self) 5 ; it is 
my Divine Mother! 

Disciple: — The other day thou wast talking to Pandit Sasa- 
dhar about Narada and his self. Thou saidst, 'One hath to go 
to the Celestial Tree which granteth all desires and then to 
pray; the boons that one would receive would depend upon 
the kind of prayer that one maketh. God is the Celestial Tree. 

Master: — Yes. But it lieth with my Divine Mother to grant the 
Prayer. 

*"'" *■'-' «$£ rk *^ 

• > , Master: — -Look here, B. saith, 'The world, Oh, 

The Master teacheth, 1 •lis' 

The World is Horrible ^OW terrible *c 

Disciple: — Oh that is, 1 am afraid, all hearsay. 
He hath no personal experience, boy as he is. 
Master: — Yes, yes, that is so. 

1 Vairagya. 2 Sahajavastha. 3 Abhiman. 4 Bhaktas. 5 Aham. 6 Kalpataru. 



ji <DAY AT T>AKSHINESHWARA TEMPLE 187 

Master: — How free from guile is N.! 

Disciple : — His very appearance is prepossessing. How- 
attractive are his eyes! 

Master: — Not only the eyes, but taken all in 
Teacheth Saraiata a u ' At the proposal of his marriage he said 

(guilelessness) and 1 • 1 '\V71 

Points out the Evils of *° hls people, Why are ye going to get me 
Marriage drowned ? ror, once married, it shall be ail 

over with me. 
Later on the following conversation was held between the 
Master and disciple. Rakhal was present. 

Master (laughing): — People say it is exceedingly delightful 
to enjoy the company of one's wife after the day's hard work 
is over. (Laughter) 

Disciple: — No doubt that is so in the case of those who look 
upon the wife as the greatest source of happiness. (Aside to 
R.) I am going through a cross-examination and the Master's 
questions are leading questions. 

Master (laughing): — Mothers generally say, 'If I can but pro- 
cure for my child the "foot of a tree" in the shade of which 
he is to take rest in the desert of this world, then my task is 
done.' That "foot of a tree" is said to be the wife! (Laughter.) 

Disciple: — There are parents and parents, — mothers and 
mothers. Surely parents that are mu\\ta (liberated from the 
bondage of the world) would not think of giving their sons 
away in marriage. If they do so, they must be muf\ta (liber- 
ated) indeed! 

The Master only laughed. Here the rest of the company 
left the room. 

Master: — What, thinkest thou, taketh place at the time of 
my Avesh? 

Disciple: — Thy spirit, Lord, is then in the sixth Bhumi 
(plane) mentioned in the Vedas. Then thou comest down to 

the fifth plane when thou beginnest to talk. 
Avesh,- that Blessed Master: — I am only an humble instrument in 
an erene oo m j_|. h an d s . It is He Who is doing all these 

which one is Blessed with 

the Vision of the Divinity things. 1 do not know anything. 

Disciple : — This wonderful self-abnegation ! 
Hence it is, Lord, that all people are drawn to thee! 

Disciple: — Thou saidst that Maya is attachment 
Daya (Kindness to All) to one's own relatives and friends, but Daya 

is love extending to all mankind — even to all 
God's creatures. I am afraid I do not see this clearly enough. 



188 GOSPEL OF SRI 'RAMAKRISHNA 

Is it not the fact that Day a is a praVritti (i. e., a feeling which 
maketh a man cling to the world)? 

Master: — Why, Daya is not a bad feeling. It is elevating 
and leadeth one Godward. 

Disciple: — But is it not a fact that it belongeth to the pravritti- 
marga (i. e., the other way, which leadeth away from God)? 

Disciple (humbly): — Sir, now I have a great desire to turn 
my exclusive attention to these things, and to this end should 
_, _ , , _ , very much like that my work in the world 

The Disciple s Second -i l l v • • l 

Appeal should dimmish. 

Master: — Oh yes, that is quite natural. I dare 
say the Lord will help thee. 

.■, ,_ , . Dost thou believe in Nirakar or Sakar — God 

Nirakar (Formless) or ',1 i- r^> \ ~.\ . i- -\ 

<;„i,rr„,»AFn, m ^ with rorm, or Liod without rorm? 

Sakar (.with horm)? ' 

Disciple: — 1 go so tar as the attributes. Liod 
hath attributes; so far I see clearly enough. But is it not a fact 
that it is impossible to think of the 'Formless' without the help 
of forms? Anyhow we must go through forms or images. 

Master (smiling): — So thou seest, I lay stress upon one's 
meditating on personal God (God 1 with Form) as eminently 
favorable to the culture of Bhakti 2 . 

Disciple: — Revered Sir, is Pandit Sasadhar making any pro- 
gress in this direction (i. e., in the path of Bhakti)? 

Master: — Yes; but he is drawn more to the path 3 of Knowl- 
edge by Philosophy. These men belong to a class of their 
own. They do not see that this way is exceedingly difficult. 

No one spoke for some time. Was the Master all the while 
reading the Soul of the disciple humbly sitting at his feet and 
looking up for strength and guidance to his benignant face, 
smiling and beaming with the Joy of the Lord? 

Master (encouragingly): — It is sufficient if one 
Renunciation or Tyaga can give up the world from the mind. 

Disciple: — This kind of teaching is, as it 

seemeth to me, intended for the weak. For men of the highest 

class it is renunciation in the strict sense of the 

Is not Outward ^^ Jfr ^^ .^ fa ^j ^ ^ f mm 

Renunciation , . r 1 , i , 77 

Absolutely Necessary the Wind but alSO OUtWardly. 

Master: — Thou hast heard all about Non- 
attachment 4 that I was talking about. 

1 Sakar. 2 Devotion. 3 Jnana-marga. 4 Vairagya. 



Jj T>AY AT <DAKSHINESHWARA TEMPLE 1 89 

Disciple: — Yes; I understand by Non-attachment not simply 
the want of attachment to things of this world. It is Non- 
attachment plus something. That something is the Love of God. 

Sir, what is God-vision? 

Master: — God-vision cannot be made intelligible to others. 
The state of things that cometh about may, however, be 

described to a certain extent. 
What is to See God Thou hast no doubt been to the theatre to 
witness a dramatic performance. Before the 
performance hath commenced thou must have noticed that 
the people are very busy talking to one another on a variety 
of subjects — politics, household affairs, official business, etc. 
But the drop-scene goeth up and behold, mountains, cottages, 
rivers, men are suddenly presented to view! Instantaneously 
all noise, all conversation is at an end and each individual 
spectator is all attention to the novel scene that is being 
enacted before him. 

Pretty much the same is the state of him who is blessed 
with God-vision. 

Disciple: — Prema*, as thou hast said this day, is the string 

of love with which to bind the God of Love. With Prema 

(an intense love of God) one may be sure of 

The World and Prema seeing God as soon as one calleth out to Him. 

But the question is whether such Prema is within the 

reach of man of the world (Grihastha). 

The Lord was silent for a while. 



Haripada 

Disciple: — H. knows how to expound 1 the Puranas like a 
professional Hindu Pandit. He knows for instance how to 
describe the life of Prahlada like such a Pandit 2 . 

Master: — Oh, does he? The other day I noticed that his 
eyes were unusually worked up. Thereupon I asked him, 
'Dost thou give thyself to excessive meditation?' He only 
held down his head. I said, 'Go not so far; thou must avoid 
extremes.' 

It was about 9 P. M. Now entered Adhar Lai Sen, and a 
short while after there was a talk on the burning waters of 

1 Kathakata. 2 Kathaka. 
* Ecstatic Love of God. 



190 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Sitakund near Chandranath Hills in Chittagong. Tongues of 
flame were visible, it was said, from the surface of the water 
in the Kund. 

Master (to Adhar): — How dost thou account for this? 

Here one of the disciples said to Adhar, "It is phosphorus 
in the water, is it not?" 

Adhar (to Master): — It burneth. The phosphorus is present 
in the water. 

LOVE FOR THE DISCIPLES 

Master (to Adhar): — There is Rama (Chatterji) here so 
kind. Otherwise there would have been nobody to call H. 
and others (i. e., the disciples) to dinner. They are so deep 
in meditation 1 . 

The Master had thus a good word to say by word of intro- 
ducing Rama Chatterji (the priest) to the favorable notice of 
Adhar, who was a Deputy Magistrate. Adhar often helped 
such men in a substantial way. 

1 Dhyana. 



SECTION X. 

1885 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT THE TEMPLE OF DAKSHINESHWARA, 

WITH NARENDRA (VIVEKANANDA) AND 

OTHER DISCIPLES 

CHAPTER I. 

THE MASTER IN SAMADHI 
THE MASTER SHOWETH THE PATH OF DEVOTION (BHAKTIYOGA) 

Sri Ramakrishna is seated on the lounge; in deep Samadhi! 

The disciples and other devotees are seated on the floor, on 
which mats have been spread out. They all look on the Master. 
Amongst them are Mahimacharan, Rama (Datta), Manomo- 
han, Nabai, M. and others. Later on has come in Narendra. 

It is the first of March, Sunday, 1 885 ; the full moon of Fal- 
gun. On this day, the festival of Doljattra is being celebrated. 

The state of God-consciousness beginneth to leave the 
Master and he hath the power of speech restored to him. 
But his mind is still in the God- world! 

The Master speaketh unto Mahimacharan saying, — "My 
dear Sir, do tell me about the need of Divine Love 1 . Do tell 
me how the Love of the Lord is the One Thing Needful." 

Mahimacharan (quoting texts 2 ): — A voice from heaven said 
to Narada who wanted to practise austerities, — 

1. "If God is worshipped with devotion, what is the need 
for asceticism? 

If He is not worshipped what again is the need for asce- 
ticism? 

If the Lord is realized within and without, what is the need 
of asceticism? 

If He is not so realized asceticism would be of little avail. 

2. Desist, O my child, desist from the practice of further 
austerities. 

Go thy way at once to Siva — the Ocean of Divine Knowl- 
edge. 

From Him do thou learn how to love the Lord. Such Love 
hath been spoken of by the worshippers of God the Pre- 
server 3 — a Love that never faileth. 

1 Bhakti. 2 Narada - Pancha - Ratra or 'Five Nights with Narada,' the holy sage. 
3 Vishnu. 



192 GOSPEL OF SRI KAMAKR1SHNA 

A love that like a bill-hook cutteth asunder the fetters of 
this world." 

These words were heard by Narada when leading the life 
of an ascetic in the retirement of a forest. 

Master: — This Love of God is of two kinds. First, the Love 1 
which is enjoined by the Sacred Scriptures 2 . We are to wor- 
ship in a certain way or repeat the Name of the Lord so many 
times. All these belong to this kind of Bhakti This is Bhakti 
according to the Law. It may lead to the Knowledge of the 
Absolute 3 in Samadhi. The self is thus merged in the Univer- 
sal Soul never to come back. This is the case with ordinary 
devotees. 

The case is different with Divine Incarnations — the son of 
God and those that are His Own. Their Love for God is not 

. made up of mere formulae. It springeth from 

c tV^HUkZh^ within ! It welleth up from the Soul ! Divine 

Incarnations (like Cnaitanya; and those that 
are nearest to Him have within their reach Absolute Knowl- 
edge in Samadhi and at the same time may come down from 
that height retaining their self and loving the Lord as father, 
mother, etc. Saying, 'Not this,' 'Not this' they leave behind 
them the steps of the staircase one after another until they get 
up to the roof. Getting up there, they say, 'It is this.' But 
soon they find out that the staircase is made of the same 
materials — bricks, lime and brick-dust — as the roof itself. So 
they walk up and down, sometimes resting on the roof and 
sometimes on the steps of the staircase. 

The roof symbolizeth the Absolute realized in Samadhi in 
which the self responding to the sense-world is blotted out. 
The staircase is the phenomenal world — the world of names 
and forms which after the roof hath been reached is realized 
as the manifestation, to human sense, of the Absolute. 

Sukadeva was in Samadhi in which the self becometh one 
with the Absolute. Unto him the Lord sent Narada to ask 
him to read the Word of God before Rajah Parikshit. Narada 
observed that the holy sage was seated like a stock or stone, 
absolutely dead to the world of sense. Narada began to play 
upon the lute, singing and praising the Lord in four verses. 
The first verse caused the hairs of Sukadeva's body to stand 
on their ends; the second, brought tears into his eyes. Then 
he could see, realize, within himself, the Spiritual Form of the 

1 Bhakti. 2 Shastras. 3 Bra'hmajnana, 



WITH RCARENDRA AT VAKSHINESHWARA 193 

Lord. Finally, he came down from his spiritual height and 
held converse with Narada. 

Thus Sukadeva had both Transcendental Knowledge and 
Love for the Lord. 

Hanumana realized God Without Form and God With 
Form and then passed his days in meditating upon a particular 
Form of the Lord, viz., the Form of Ramachandra, this being 
a Form, — made of Spirit and Bliss Everlasting. 

Much the same thing was with Prahlada and Narada. They 
realized the Absolute; — they realized, too, the Spiritual Forms 
of the Lord from a lower plane. 

Prahlada realized, 'I am It' (God the Absolute). He also 
realized, 'I am Thy servant, Thou art my Lord.' 

Narada passeth his days with his ecstatic Love for the Lord. 

This Love 1 solveth the problem of life. So long as there is 
the self which saith 'I, I,* the problem for me is 'How to live?' 
Shall I be content with a sensuous nature responding to a 
world of sense. No, let this self be the servant of the Lord; — 
not the servant of the world and its so-called enjoyments! 
Thou art the Lord; I am, O Lord, Thy servant. Not the 
enjoyment of the world and its pleasures; but the enjoyment 
of Bliss Everlasting, the enjoyment of the never-failing Joy of 
the Lord! 

Self or ego leadeth away from the Lord, but the ego of 

Divine Love, — the ego of Godward Knowledge — the ego of 

the child leadeth to God. Sankaracharya 

The Ego of Divine reta ined after Samadhi the ego of Godward 2 

Love and the Problem ivr 1 1 r 1 C 1 • 

f Uf e Knowledge ror the purpose or teaching man- 

kind. 
The self or ego of the child is not attached to things of this 
world. The child getteth out of temper but soon, there is not 
a trace of anger left to him. It buildeth a play-house for the 
dogs; but presently forgetteth all about this. Its fondness for 
its playmates knoweth no bounds; but if it loseth sight of 
them for some time, it formeth new ties and forgetteth all 
about the old friends. The self of the child is thus unattached 
to anything. The self of Divine Love kept after a Samadhi, in 
which it becometh one with the Absolute, solveth the problem 
of life. 

Another reason why Bhakti or Love for God should be 
cultivated by men in general is that the ego cannot be shaken 

l Bhakti. 2 V idya. 



194 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

off. Ye may reason it away for a time, but behold, it cometh 
up again; ye cannot rid yourself of your self or ego which 
saith, .'I, I.' 

The ego is like a water-jar, the Absolute is the Shoreless 
Ocean in which the water-jar is merged. Thou mayest reason 
that the Infinite or the Absolute is both within and without; 
but thou canst not shake thyself free of the water-jar so long 
as thou reasonest. The so-called Absolute is something rela- 
tive to thee so long as thou reasonest. This water-jar that 
thou canst not shake off is the self or ego of Divine Love. 
So long as there is the water-jar or ego there are both the I 
and Thou. Thus 'Thou art the Lord, I am the servant of the 
Lord.' Thou mayest carry thy reasoning to the highest point 
but the self or ego still remaineth. 

CHAPTER HI. 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA TEACHETH RENUNCIATION TO NARENDRA 

Here Narendra cometh in and falleth down at the feet of 
the Master. He speaketh to Narendra, cometh down from 
the lounge and taketh his seat on the mats spread out on the 
floor. The chamber is by this time filled with the disciples 
and visitors from Calcutta and other places. 

Master (to Narendra): — Art thou doing well, my boy? Is it 
true that thou art a constant visitor at Girish Ghose's house? 

Narendra:— -Yes, Sir, I do go to see him, off and on. 

Girish is a new disciple, having joined the Master in Octo- 
ber, 1 884. The Master often speaketh of the greatness of his 
Faith — a Faith which, as he often saith, cannot be girt about 
with both the arms; and his longing for the Lord is even as 
intense as his Faith. At home he always meditateth upon 
God and is, as it were, drunken with the joy that the Lord 
alone can give. He is visited at his house by many disciples, 
especially by Narendra, Haripada, Narayan, Benode, and 
others. They have amongst them one theme alone for talk, 
viz., the Master. 

Girish is a man of the world — a householder. On the other 
hand, the Master seeth that Nerendra will renounce the world 
to do the work of the Lord. Narendra will renounce 'Lust 
and Gold.' 

Master (to Narendra): — Is it indeed true that thou goest 
often to see Girish Ghose at his house? 



WITH &CARENDRA A T TfAKSHINESHWA RA 1 95 

Well, one may wash ever so many times a cup which con- 
taineth garlic; but the smell of the garlic will not leave the 
cup. Boys who have not entered the world 
Sanny^in ' anc ^ have not touched ' Lust and Gold' are 

pure vessels — free from smell of any kind. 
Men that have been in the world for a long time are like 
vessels rubbed over with garlic. 

They are again like mangoes pecked at and thus defiled 
by crows. 

Again, young men who have not touched the world are like 
new earthen pots in which milk may be safely kept. On the 
other hand, worldly men are like earthen vessels in which milk 
was once turned into curds. In such vessels it is not safe to 
keep pure milk. The chances are that the milk will turn sour. 

Knowledge or the Love of God taught to pure young souls 
is like the pure milk which can be safely kept in new vessels. 
If taught to men of the world it is in very many cases thrown 
away like the milk kept in vessels which once contained curds. 

My dear boy, there are, indeed, worshippers amongst men 

of the world who seek for the Lord. They form a class by 

themselves. Their mind is given to God and 

The imperfections of at tlie same time to t k e enjoyments 2 of the 

the Householder fliiirv .. • -ii 

Devotee flesh. In the Kamayana it is mentioned that 

Ravana was a type of this class of men. He 
wanted the good things of this world as well as God. He 
married the charming daughters of the Devas, the Nagas, the 
Gandharvas, the Asuras; at the same time he attained God in 
the end. 

In the Puranas it is mentioned that the Asuras were given 
to the enjoyment of worldly pleasures; at the same time they 
attained God in the end. 

Narendra: — Girish Ghose now-a-days avoids the company 
of bad people. 

Master: — In a certain place there were seated some sannyasins, 
when a young woman chanced to pass by. All continued as 
before to meditate upon God, except one person, who looked 
on her with a glance of his eye. This man who had been 
attracted by female beauty had been formerly a householder 
and was the father of three children when he became a sannyasi. 

If you rub garlic with a liquid into a solution and put it into 
a cup for a long time, would it not be hard to make the cup 

1 Yoga. 2 Bhoga. 3 Rama. 



196 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

free from the smell of the garlic? Is it possible to make the 
babuy plant bring forth the sweetest mangoes? Of course it is 
possible for a person who possesseth occult powers to do this 
miracle. But it is not everybody that can attain these miracu- 
lous powers. 

Yes, it is possible even for a man of the world to be pure 
like the young men who have not touched the world and seek 
God alone; and for the babuy plant to bring the sweetest 
mangoes. But the power of doing these miracles must come 
down from the Almighty; and nothing is impossible with 
God. How rare, however, is such a gift from Heaven ! 

The thing is, thou must give thy whole mind to the Lord. 

But a man of the world, a householder, — oh, how he is 
troubled with many things! Hath he indeed time enough to 
spare for the Lord? 

A certain man wanted a pandit, well-versed in the Scrip- 
tures; — through whom he could hear the Word of God recited 
and explained every day. A friend of his said to him, 'Well, 
I know such a pandit; he is exactly the man we want; but 
there is one difficulty as regards this man. He hath some 
lands under cultivation, which he hath to look after every day. 
There are four ploughs and eight bullocks always at work. 
Thus the difficulty is that he hath no time to spare.' The man 
who wanted a pandit, cried out, 'My friend, am I looking 
about for a learned pandit like the one thou hast in view — a 
pandit with ploughs and bullocks and arable lands to look 
after and no time to spare? (Laughter). No, no; I am in quest 
of a pandit from whom I can hear the Word of God!' 

A certain king used to hear the Word of God every day 
recited by a learned pandit. At the end of the lesson for the 
day, the pandit used to say to the king, 'O, king, didst thou 
follow all this that I read before you?' To this question the 
Raja would only reply, 'My dear Sir, it is for thee, first of all, 
to understand the meaning of these holy texts.' 

The pandit thinketh upon these words of the king every 
day upon his return home. 'Why doth the king,' thought he 
within himself, 'say to me every day, "Do thou first understand 
the meaning?"' Being a devout Brahman he felt an awakening 
of the spirit within himself in the course of a few days. He 
realized that the worship of the Lord alone is the one thing 
needful. Being sick of the world and its pleasures he gave it 
up. On the day he left his house in order to go into retire- 



WITH (KARENDRA AT TtAKSHINESHWARA 197 

ment he sent a message unto the king, saying, 'O, king, I have 
indeed at last come to know the true meaning of the 'Word 
of God' (i. e., give up everything for the sake of the Lord). 

That being my idea of men of the world, thinkest thou I 
look down upon them? O, no. The Knowledge of Oneness 
telleth me that everything is but a manifestation of God the 
Absolute on the plane of sense. Thus do I realize that all 
women are so many forms in which the Divine Mother 
appeareth. Thus I revere all women alike; — be it a woman 
of the lower classes or an ideal wife who setteth an example 
to others of conjugal love and devotion. 

Alas, I look in vain for customers who want anything higher 
or better than Kalai pulse! Everybody runneth after 'Lust and 
Gold!' Few do aspire for higher things! They are attracted 
by female beauty, — by money, honors, titles, — not knowing 
that the Blessed Vision of the Lord — the Divine Beauty — will 
cause the highest place, even that of the Creator, to appear 
as a thing not worth ones while to strive. 

A certain person said to Ravana, 'Why canst thou not 
approach Sita assuming the form of Rama — her beloved hus- 
band?' Ravana replied, 'My friend, if I once behold Rama 
in the recess of my soul — if I once meditate upon this Divine 
Form — Tilottama and other beauties appear to me like ashes 
of the dead burnt at the Crematorium. After that I can spurn 
the high place of the Creator, not to speak of woman with all 
their charms.' 

Verily these customers, every one of them, seeketh for Kalai 
pulse. It is given to pure souls alone, who have not touched 
the world, to love God alone — to have One Aim, — to have 

the mind fixed upon the Lord. 
The Se^ce of the fj Q Manomohan, a householder and a dis- 

World and of • 1 \ I l 1 11 

Worldly Men ciplej: — 1 must say it, although thou mayest 

take offence, I did say to Rakhal, 'My child, 
I should be better pleased to hear that thou hadst plunged 
thyself into the Ganges and hadst been drowned, — than if I 
ever heard that thou hadst been mean enough to be anybody's 
servant for the sake of money or other worldly goods!' 

(Rakhal is a young disciple now staying with the Master. 
He hath married the sister of Manomohan.) 
Turning again to Narendra the Master saith, — 
A young Nepalese lady once came here in company with 
Captain (Vishwanatha). She played nicely on the Eshraj (a 



198 GOSPEL OF SRI KAMA KRISHNA 

kind of violin) and chanted the Name of the Lord at the same 
time. Her sweet voice drew quite a multitude into the room. 
Somebody asking if she had married, she replied with some 
sharpness, 'I am the handmaiden of the Lord! He is my Lord 
and Husband. Him alone do I serve and not any created 
being such as man is.' 

With 'Lust and Gold,' always coming round about thee how 
is it possible to realize God ? It is very hard indeed to live unat- 
tached in their midst. Hard is the case of the man of the world. 
In the first place, he is the slave of his wife; in the second 
place, he is the slave of the money, and in the third place, he 
is the slave of him whom he serveth for the sake of his living. 

During the reign of Akbar there lived, in a certain forest 
near Delhi, a Fakir in a cottage. Many resorted unto this holy 
man. But he had nothing with which to treat 
Akbar and the Fakir with hospitality. He wanted money for this 
purpose and went up for help to Akbar Shah, 
who was known for his kindness to holy men. Akbar Shah 
was then saying his prayers and the Fakir took his seat in the 
prayer room. In the course of his prayers Akbar was heard 
to say, 'O Lord, do Thou grant unto me more wealth, more 
power, more territories.' At once the Fakir arose and was 
about to steal out of the room when the emperor beckoned 
unto him to be seated again. 

At the end of the prayer, Akbar asked the Fakir saying, 
'Thou didst come to see me; how is it that thou didst want 
to depart without saying to me anything?' The Fakir said, 
'The object of my visit to Your Majesty, — well, I need not 
trouble you with that' Akbar having repeatedly pressed him 
to say what he wanted, the Fakir at last said, 'Sir, many 
people come unto me to be taught, but for want of money I 
am unable to see to their comforts, so I thought it as well to 
come to Your Majesty for help.' Akbar thereupon asked 
why he had been departing without having told him the 
object of his visit. The Fakir replied, 'When I saw that thou 
wast thyself a beggar, begging of the Lord wealth and power 
and territory, I thought to myself, "Why shall I go a-begging 
of a person who is himself a beggar? I had better beg of the 
Lord Himself, — if, indeed, it is not possible for me to do 
without begging altogether!"' 

Narendra: — Now-a-days, Girish Ghose thinketh upon these 
matters alone. 



WITH NARENDRA AT TfAKSHINESHWARA 199 

Master: — That is all right — as it should be. But why is it 
then that he calleth names? My present nature cannot stand 
such rudeness. When there is a thunder-clap, the grosser 
objects are not so affected by it. But the glass shutters move 
to and fro and make sounds! The Sattva element goeth to 
make my present nature. Hence it cannot stand noise and 
clamor. It was thus that my Divine Mother sent away Hriday 
who had latterly grown too rough for me. 

(Smiling, to Narendra after a while): — Dost thou bear out 
what Girish Ghose saith (as to God being Incarnate in Man)? 
~ , ~ . . Narendra : — He saith, indeed, he believeth 

Doth Cod Incarnate • fa -- t .• ti- f *.l 1 

Himself? ln ^ lvine Incarnation. His raith being so 

deep-rooted I thought it as well not to say 
anything the other way. 

Master: — How great is his faith! Dost thou not think so? 

The Master is seated on the mat spread on the floor. Close 
to him is M.; in front of him is Narendra; the other disciples 
and Calcutta visitors are seated round about. All look on 
the Master. 

He is seated still for a while looking on Narendra with 'love 
unspeakable. He saith into him, 'My child, O! thou canst not 
attain the end of life without Renunciation of 'Lust and Gold!' 

Saying this he becometh filled with Divine Fervor. He 
looketh on him with love and singeth: — 

SONG 

1. Afraid am I to speak the word unto thee; equally afraid am I, 
— if I do not speak it. 

The fear that ariseth in my mind is that I may loose thee, — yes, be 
robbed of thee, my wealth, my treasure ! 

2. Knowing well thy mind, we shall teach thee the holy Name 
that is to bring thee to the Beloved. 

It is now for thee to get ready to receive that Name which enabled 
us on many an occasion to steer the ship safe to land. 



The Master is afraid lest Narendra ceaseth to be his own — 
lest some man plucketh him out of his hand! Narendra is in 
tears as he heareth the Master singing. 

A visitor who hath come to see the Master for the first time 
is seated near him and watcheth everything. He saith to the 
Master, — 



200 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Sir, if 'Lust and Gold' are to be given up, how should the 
householder, the man who hath a family to bring up, solve 
this problem? 

Master: — Well, Sir, thou art at liberty to live with thy wife 
and children and do thy duty as a householder. What hath 
_::_,■'■.- , r , passed between ourselves doth not concern 

T he Problem of Life 1 

for the Householder *„?*. , , , , , i , i i i 

Mahimacharan, a householder who hath heard 
everything, sitteth speechless, holding his peace. 

Master (smiling to Mahima): — Go on ahead. And halt not 
on the way. Go deeper into the forest, thou shalt get sandal- 
wood. Go yet deeper thou shalt come upon a silver mine! 
Do not stand where thou art; but go on ahead. Yes, deeper 
still and thou shalt come upon a gold mine! Move on still 
further and thou shalt be placed in the midst of diamonds 
and rubies and sapphires! Yes, go on ahead. 

Mahima: — We ought to move on indeed. But, alas, some- 
thing holdeth us back, — and keepeth us from moving onward. 
Some unknown force holdeth the reins and pulleth us back. 

Master (smiling): — Why, my dear Sir, let the reins be cut 
asunder by the sword of His holy Name! The 'Name' of the 
Divine Mother, the Consort of Eternity, is capable of cutting 
in twain the bonds of Death. 

After his father left the world Narendra hath been put to 
great trouble. He hath passed through many a trial and 
suffering. The Master looketh on Narendra from time to time. 
He saith smiling to him with love and the light of sympathy 
beaming from his eyes, — 'Hast thou already turned out to be 
a Chifytsaka, a physician of many years' standing? 

The Master quoteth the proverb, saying — 

"A Vaidya is a physician who had succeeded in killing a 
hundred patients. 

A Chikitsaka is he who hath despatched a thousand at least 
unto eternity" {Laughter). 

Narendra hath already enough of the bitter cup. Doth the 
good Master refer to this? 

Narendra smileth and holdeth his peace. 



WITH NARENDRA AT VAKSHINESHWARA 20! 

CHAPTER III. 
THE MASTER WITH HIS DISCIPLES 

It is afternoon. The disciples and other dovotees are 
walking about in the Temple Garden. The Master converseth 
with M. He talketh of the younger disciples. 

Master: — Everybody except Paltu saith, 'I am getting on 
well with my meditation 1 .' How is it that Paltu cannot do so 
and fix his mind on God? 

M. : — He hath so many things to read for the examination. 
That probably standeth in the way of concentration. 

Master: — What thinkest thou of Narendra? Is 

World LTnLIL {t UOt the faCt th . at there is n ° S uile in nim ? 

M. : — Yes, that is so, Sir. 
Master: — But he hath received of late several blows of the 
world. 

M. : — Yes, the death of his father hath left his family almost 
helpless. 

Master: — He hath to think a good deal about his family. 
Thus, the light within him is a little hidden under the shadows 
of the world. 

This state of things, however, will not last long. 

The Master now and then steppeth into the corridor where 
Narendra is talking with a Vedantist. He watcheth Narendra 
talking. 

The disciples have come back into the chamber. The 
Master asketh Mahimacharan to recite a Sanskrita prayer from 
the Sacred Books. 

Mahima quoteth* from Mahanirvana 7 antra saying — 

"In the lotus of my heart do I worship God the Absolute 
whom Hari (God, the Preserver) Hara (God, the Destroyer) 
and Bidhi (God, the Creator) all desire to know, and upon 
Whom the Yogis always meditate with a view to Realization. 

He taketh away all fear that cometh of life and death; He 
is Absolute Existence and Intelligence; 

He containeth within Himself the Seed of the 
lf%TeTt'L Me5Sa8e Multitudinous Worlds." 

Householder The Master is deeply touched as these and 

other holy texts are being chanted by Mahi- 
ma, who then proceedeth to recite a prayer to Siva composed 

1 Dhyana. 

* Hridayakamalamadhye, Nirvishesham, Niriham, etc., 3d Ullasa. 



202 QOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

by the great Vedantist reformer Sankaracharya. In it the Lord 
of the World is asked to save the devotee from being drowned 
in the sea of the world. The world is also represented in this 
prayer as a place of misery — a deep, dense wilderness in 
which one loseth one's way and cannot find one's way out. 

Now Mahimacharan is a man of the world and a house- 
holder. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Mahima): — Why say est thou that the 
world is a well in which men are drowned, or that it is a deep, 
dense forest in which one must lose one's way? Why dost 
thou say it is a place of misery and nothing more? These 
epithets are all very good for a beginner. Surely they are 
quite out of place on the lips of him who clingeth to the Lord 
in weal and in woe. Away with all fear — when it is the Lord 
that guideth your feet! Well mayest thou then cry out like 
another devotee, also a householder: — 

"Verily is this world a mansion of joy. 

Let me pass my days eating, drinking and rejoicing. 

Janaka, the royal sage, how great was his power? Was 
there anything in which he was found wanting — spiritual or 
temporal? 

Ah! no, he did give his mind to God and at the same time 
drink out of his cup of milk!" 

Fear of what? The Lord is thy Friend; hold Him fast and 
He will lead thee by the hand. Never mind that it is 'a deep, 
dense forest overgrown with weeds and thorns'! Put on a pair 
of shoes and the thorns will not prick thy feet or cause them 
to bleed. Away with fear. In this play of 'hide and seek' 
touch the Holy Person of the Grand Dame, our Divine Mother, 
Who leadeth the play unattached. Once thou touchest Her 
Person thou art spared the necessity of taking any further part 
in this exciting play. Yes, thou shalt have no longer to run 
about excited and to be in bondage like the 'thief of the play. 

Janaka, the royal sage, thou knowest, wielded a couple of 
swords. One was the sword of True Knowledge, the other 
sword of Work. He who is expert in handling the swords 
hath nothing to fear. 

The Master remaineth sitting on the lounge. M. is seated 
on the floor close to him. 

l Siva. 



WITH ZKARENDRA AT TtAKSHINESHWARA 203 

Master (aside to M.): — What he hath said hath drawn my 
mind, as it were, away, — from lighter matters. 

(The Master here speaketh of the first prayer chanted by 
Mahimacharan addressed to God the Absolute.) 

Now they are singing forth the Name of the Lord and 
dancing with joy. The Master joineth the disciples. He is 
filled with deep devotional feelings and singeth and danceth 
with the devotees round about him. 

The singing over, the Master saith to the disciples, "The 
chanting of the Lord's Name with love is the One Thing 
Needful; all the rest is of little value! Bhakti is the reality; 
all else is unreal! " 



They are seated on the floor talking. Narendra and Rama 
(Datta) are engaged in hotly discussing a point with each 
other. Rama hath come to see the Master 
Tmth and Reflation after his recovery from a recent illness. 

The Master watcheth them talking and raising 
their voice in the course of the discussions. 

(Aloud to Rama): — Hold, thou art not perfectly restored to 
health! — Very well, go on softly and do not get excited. 

(Aside to M.): — All this is not at all to my liking. I used 
to cry unto My Divine Mother, saying, 'O, Mother, one man 
saith, 'It is thus, it is thus,' another man saith, 'It is something 
else.' Reveal unto me, Good Mother, what the truth is! 



SECTION XI. 

March 1885 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT THE HOUSE OF BALARAM, A DISCIPLE, 

WITH NARENDRA (SWAMI VIVEKANANDA), GIRISH, 

BALARAM, CHUNILALL, LATOO, NARAYAN, 

M., AND OTHER DISCIPLES 

CHAPTER I. 

Wednesday, the 1 1th of March, 1885, and 29th Falgun of 
the Bengali year, is the 1 Oth day of the dark fortnight of that 
month. On this day Sri Ramakrishna has come in the house 
of Balaram, one of his disciples. He arrived here from Dak- 
shineshwara at about 1 o'clock in the morning, and has had 
his dinner there. 

Lord bless thee, Balaram! It is thy house which the Master 
hath chosen to make his chief 'vineyard' to-day! It is here 
that he hath bound devotee after devotee by the ties of divine 
love! It is here that he hath so often danced and sung the 
name of the Lord at the head of his disciples! It seemeth as 
if another Gouranga is setting up, in the house of his disciple 
Shribash, a fair for the 'buying and selling' of Divine Love. 

How great is the Master's love for his disciples! There at 
the Temple of the Mother, alone by himself, he crieth like a 
child! He longeth to see them! Sleepless at night he saith to 
the Divine Mother, "Oh, Mother! deign to draw him into Thy 
fold! He is so devoted to Thee, poor boy! Oh how I long 
to see him! Mother, bring him here or take me to the place 
where he is." Is this the secret of his coming to Balaram's 
house so often? He saith indeed to everybody, "Balaram is a 
true Bhakta; he daily worshippeth the Lord 1 of the Universe, 
his household God; his offerings are therefore always accept- 
able." But whenever he cometh into his house he says to 
Balaram, "Go and invite my Narendra, Bhabanath, Rakhal; 
Purna, Narendra junior, Narayan and other disciples. Offering 
food to them is the same thing as offering it to God Himself. 
These indeed are not ordinary men. They are parts of the 
Divinity manifest in the flesh." 

1 Jagannatha. 



VISITING AT "DISCIPLES' HOUSES 205 

It was at Balaram's house that there was so much dancing 
and singing at the time of the car-festival 1 . Many a time have 
the devotees met here "at the Darbar of God's Love." 

M. is a teacher in a neighboring English school. He had 
heard that Sri Ramakrishna was visiting at Balaram's house. 
Being a little free from work, he came down there at about 
noon to see the Master. He boweth down and saluteth his feet. 

The mid-day dinner is over and the Master is in the draw- 
ing-room, taking rest. The young disciples are seated round 
him. From time to time he is taking out cabab chinee and 
other spices from a small pouch. 

Sri Ramakrishna (affectionately to M.): — Thou art here! Is 
there no school to-day? 

M. : — I have come directly from the school; — I have just 
now nothing of importance to attend to there. 

A devotee: — No, Sir, he is playing the truant and has kept 
away from school. {Laughter.) 

M. (to himself): — Ah me! It is, indeed, as if some Invisible 
Power hath drawn me to this place! 

The Master then grew a little thoughtful. He then bade M. 
take his seat near him and talked with him on various subjects. 

He saith to him: "Wring the wet towel here for me, wilt 
thou? and put the coat in the sun." Again: "My legs and 
feet are aching, wilt thou rub them softly a little?" M. doth 
not know how to serve the Master like a disciple. So the 
gracious Master teacheth him. M. eagerly sets about doing 
the Master's bidding. He stroketh his hallowed feet gently 
with the palm of his hands and fingers, while the Master 
teacheth him. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.): — I say, M., what thinkest thou of 

this? For some days, a strange state of things hath been going 

on. It is now beyond my power to touch any 

enunaawn. or e meta ] Once I put my hand to a metallic cup; 

I rue Sannyastn 1 r 1 • % I f 1*. 

dost thou know what came or this? 1 telt as 
if the sting of some horned fish had been thrust into my flesh. 
The pain was very acute. Then, thou knowest, one cannot 
do without a wash-pitcher. So I thought of carrying it to the 
foot of the willow tree. I wrapped it in my towel and then 
tried to take it up. As soon as I touched it, the same acute 
pain came back. It was indeed terrible. At last I was forced 
to pray unto the Divine Mother, saying, 'Oh Mother, forgive 

1 Ratha-yatra. 



206 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

me this time; I will never do so any more/ Dost thou not 
think that this is a warning from Mother that I should stand 
apart absolutely from all sorts of enjoyments? 

M.: — I dare say, Revered Sir, that is the true explanation. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.): — N. junior often goeth to see me. 

Dost thou not think that his people will take him to task for 

this? Oh! he is a nice boy, so pure! The fact 

CamZyaZ is he is absolutely free from carnality. 

Yeamlng for the Lord M. : — Yes, Revered Sir, he is indeed a young 

man of no ordinary calibre. 
Sri Ramakrishna : — That is so. Furthermore, he saith, 'The word 
of God, if it once reacheth my ear, becometh stamped upon 
my mind.' Again: 'I used to cry for the Lord in my infancy. 
I was so much troubled at heart because I could not see Him.' 

In this way the Master talked on about the young devotee, 
when one of the disciples cried out saying, "Well, Mr. M., 
when dost thou go back to school?" 

Sri Ramakrishna: — What o'clock is it? 

A disciple: — It is just ten minutes to one. 

Sri RamaJ^rishna (to M.): — Thou hadst better go back; it is 
late already. Thou art on duty. (To Latoo.) Well, where is 
Rakhal? 

Latoo: — -He is gone— home. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Is it possible? How is it he did not see 
me when he left? 

CHAPTER II. 

IN THE AFTERNOON WITH DISCIPLES 

After school M. calleth again. The Master, he is pleased to 
see, is seated in the midst of his disciples in Balaram's draw- 
ing-room. On his face is a sweet smile, the reflection of which 
was caught by the faces of the disciples. M. saluteth the 
Master's feet, who beckoneth unto him to be seated by his 
side. Girish (Ghosh), Suresh (Mitra), Balaram, Latoo, Chunilall 
and many other disciples are present. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Girish): — Thou hadst better argue the 
point with Narendra. See what he hath got to say. 

Girish: — Narendra says, 'God is Infinite. We 
DilinelnZnLn cannot even say that all that we see or hear 

— is a part of God; much less God Himself. 
A part of Infinity cannot be conceived.' 



VISITING A T "DISCIPLES' HOUSES 207 

Master: — God is indeed Infinite. But He is Omnipotent. 
He may so order that His Divinity as Love may be manifest 
in the flesh and be among us as God Incarnate. Divine 
Incarnation is a fact. 

Of course, one cannot make this perfectly clear by means 
of words. It is a fact to be seen and realized by the spiritual 
eyes. One must see God to be convinced of this. 

By analogy we can at best faintly apprehend the matter. 
Suppose, one toucheth the horn of a cow, or her feet, or the 
tail, or the udder; would this not be the same as touching the 
cow herself? For us human beings the chief thing about the 
cow is the milk, which cometh from the udder. Well! the 
milk of Divine Love streameth to us from God 1 Incarnate. 

Girish: — Narendra saith, 'Is it possible to know God, to hold 
the Divine Idea within the compass of our small, poor brain? 
God is Infinite!' 

Master (to Girish): — That is indeed true. Who can know 

God? It is not given to us, nor is it required of us to fanou) 

. , , Him fully. It is enough if we can see Him — 

Infinite™ ^ee\ ^at ^ e * s t ^ ie on ly Reality! It is enough 

if we can see God Incarnate. 
A person, suppose, goeth up to the Holy River Ganges and 
toucheth the water. He would say, 'I have been blessed with 
the vision and touch of the Holy River.' Surely it is not 
required of him to touch the river from Hardwar to Ganga- 
sagar, from its source to the mouth! {Laughter.) 

If one toucheth thy feet, surely that would be the same as 
touching thee. 

A person walketh up to the sea and toucheth the water. 
Surely it is the same thing as touching the sea. 

Fire is latent in all objects. In the constitution of wood it 
remaineth in a degree far greater than in other objects. 

Girish (smiling): — I for my part am in quest of the fire. 
Therefore all that I care for is a place where I can get the fire. 

Master (smiling): — Well! Wood as made by God has in it 
this element more than in other objects. Seekest thou God? 
Well, seek Him in man! His Divinity is manifest more in 
Man than in any other object. Look around for a man with 
a Love of God that overfloweth — a man who yearneth for 
God — a man intoxicated with His Love. In such a man hath 
God incarnated Himself. 

1 Avatara. 



208 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

(To M.): — God indeed is in all things; only His Power 1 is 
more or less manifest in them. God Incarnate is God's Power 
(Divinity) most manifest in flesh. 

Girish: — Narendra saith, 'It is beyond the power of word, 
thought or the senses to know Him — beyond the power of 
thought — beyond the reach of mind. 

Master: — That is not quite so. It is true enough that the 
conditioned mind cannot realize Him. But He can be realized 
by the Pure Mind 2 , which is the same thing as the Pure 
Reason , which is the same thing as the Pure or Unconditioned 
Soul . He cannot indeed be sensed by the finite reason or 
the finite, relative, conditioned mind, which hath a sensuous 
nature, and is thus marked by an attachment to 'Lust and 
Gold'. The mind may get rid of its sensuous nature, be purified 
by culture, and be once more free from all worldly tendencies, 
desires and attachment and thus be one with the Uncondi- 
tioned Soul. 

Was it not thus that the sages of old saw God? God, the 
Unconditioned Spirit they saw by means of the Purified Mind 
(the mind stripped of its sensuous nature), which they found 
to be the same as the Atman or the Unconditioned Soul within*. 

Girish (smiling): — Narendra hath been beaten by me. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Oh no! On the contrary he saith, 'Girish 
(Ghosh) believeth in the Incarnation of God; his faith is firm 
as a rock; surely it is not proper for one to meddle with such 
a faith!' 

Girish (smiling): — Sir, we are all talking away; our words 
flow like water, but thy M. here sitteth with his lips shut. 
What in the world doth he think of? Do be good enough to 
throw light upon this point. {Laughter.) 

Master (smiling): — Beware of the following: (1) of him 
whose words flow like water; (2) of him the door of whose 
heart is closed to you; (3) of the devotee who shows off to 
the world his devotion by the Sacred Tulsi leaf stuck into the 
ear; (4) of the women who wears a long veil; (5) of the tank 
covered with scum, the cold water of which is so injurious to 
health. (Laughter.) I must say our M. here is no such thing — 
rather let us say, the depth of his soul has made him speech- 
less. (Laughter.) 

iShakti. 2 Suddha Manas. 3 Suddha Buddhi. 4 Suddha Atman. 

* Compare Kant's Exposition of the Transcendental Reason or the Faculty of the 
Unconditioned. 



VISITING A T ^DISCIPLES' HOUSES 209 

Girish: — Sir, will you kindly repeat the proverb? 

Chunilall: — Guardians of boys are beginning to talk about 
M.'s conduct as headmaster. Our friend N. junior is a pupil 
of his; so are Baburam, Narayan, Paltu, Purna, Tejchandra. 
The guardians complain that it is M. who bringeth these boys 
unto our Master; so that they neglect their studies. They 
hold M. responsible for all this. 

Master: — Oh dear! Who is to put faith in all that they can 
say against him? 

Just at this moment Narayan comes in and falls at the 
Master's feet. Narayan is of a fair complexion, 1 7 or 1 8 years 
old. He is a student and a beloved disciple of Sri Rama- 
krishna. The Master is so much attached to him that he some- 
times crieth before the Divine Mother in his anxiety to see 
him. He looketh upon the boys as Narayana (God) Himself. 

Girish (at the sight of Narayan): — Hallo! Who is it that sent 
thee word that the Master was here? M., I am afraid, is going 
to do for everybody! (Laughter.) 

Sri Ramakrishna (laughing): — Hold: pray keep thy own 
counsel; people are already speaking ill of him (M.). 



The conversation next turneth upon Narendra. 

A disciple: — He doth not come to us now-a-days as often as 
he used to do before. 

Master: — It is no wonder that he cometh not to us. Won- 
derful is the thought of bread and butter! It maketh even 
such a great poet as Kalidasa (writer of Sakuntala) lose his 
wits! (Laughter.) 

Balaram: — He is a great friend of Annada Guha, grandson 
of the well-known Shiboo Guha. He always walketh with him. 

Master: — Yes, they meet generally at the house of a friend 
of theirs who is employed in some Government office. They 
hold prayer meetings 1 as Brahmas there. 

, Balaram (smiling): — Brahmans generally say 

Acceptance of Gifts and L -\ . \ V /"» l - ■ '.J 

/ a a * j . that Annada L»uha is very conceited. 

Loss of Independence J _ . 11 

bri Hamaf^risnna: — ray no heed to what the 
Brahmans say. Thou knowest their ways: he who giveth 
good gifts to them is a good man; the rest of mankind are 
bad. (Laughter.) 

1 Brahma-Samaj. 



210 GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

CHAPTER III. 
SINGING THE NAME OF THE LORD WITH DISCIPLES 

Sri Ramakrishna expresses a desire to listen to the chanting 
of hymns. Balaram's drawing room is filled with visitors. 
Every one watches the Master, eager to listen to what falls 
from his lips and mark what he is going to do next. Tarapada 
is invited to sing. He sings a song describing the sports of 
the 'Shepherd of Men,' Sri Krishna. 

SONG 

1. Have mercy on my miserable self, Oh God 1 , Thou who usedst 
to go about in the groves of Brindaban, Thou Charmer of the Mind, 
Thou who usedst to play on the sweet flute while Incarnate in 
Brindaban. 

(Oh my mind, say, ' O Sweet Lord 2 ,' say, ' O Sweet Lord.') 

2. At Brindaban, Thou didst pass Thy 3 days in boyhood, Thou 
didst kill the dragon, Oh Lord ! Thou sayest ' Fear not ' to the weary 
and heavy-laden that pray for Thy help in their trouble. How beauti- 
ful art Thou with Thy loving eyes looking askance and with the pea- 
cock's feather dancing on Thy forehead. Thou bringest joy unto the 
heart of the greatest 4 of the lovers of God. It was Thou Who didst 
lift up the hill 5 on Thy arm. It was Thou Who didst pull down the 
pride of Kamsa; it was Thou Who didst once enjoy the company of 
Thy great devotees, the Gopis, during that manifestation 6 of the 
highest Divine Love, at Brindaban. 

Oh Thou of the dark-brown color, so fair with wild flowers deco- 
rating Thy person! 

(Oh my mind, say, ' O Sweet Lord,' say, ' O Sweet Lord.') 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Girish): — What a charming song! Didst 
thou compose it? 

A disciple: — Yes, Sir; he has composed all the songs in the 
drama called Chaitanya-lila (or the Lord Chaitanya walking 
amongst men). 

Master (to Girish): — This song is grand! (To the singer.) 
Canst thou sing about Nitai (Brother, in the Lord, of Chai- 
tanya) } 

He sang about Nitai preaching the love of God taught by 
Chaitanya. 

SONG 

Ecstatic Love of God 

1.. Come those that want the love of God once taught at Brindaban 
by the most Beloved 4 of the Lord. 

1 Keshava. 2 Hari. 3 Kaliya. 4 Radhika. 5 Govardhana. 6 Rasa. 



VISITING A T "DISCIPLES' HOUSES 2 1 1 

The high tide of that love floweth past and is not going to last for 
a long time ! Have a care ! 

2. Do ye not see this love streaming out in a hundred different 
directions ? He who wanteth it shall get as much as he pleaseth. 

3. Sri Radhika is made of this love, pure and simple. She it is to 
whom it is given to deal out this love. 

Now therefore say, ' O Sweet Lord 1 , at the call of this love. 
Oh ! this love maketh one's heart intoxicated with the Joy of the 
Lord. It maketh it dance with this joy! 

4. Say, ' O Sweet Lord ' at the call of this love. 
Oh come ! Oh come ! 

The next song was about Chaitanya Himself. 

SONG 
Gouranga (Chaitanya) God-Incarnate 

1 . O Lord 2 of fair complexion, what divine idea brought Peace 
unto Thy life when Thou goest about in the guise of Gouranga ? 

Oh ! Thou art immersed in the Sea of Divine Love ! 

That Sea hath been broken into waves by the strong wind of 
enthusiasm that is blowing. It is not too much to say that many will 
bid adieu to the honor of their families for Thy dear sake and join 
Thee ! 

(O Lord, Thou hast taken my mind !) 

2. It was Thou, O Lord, Who usedst when Incarnate as Sri Krishna, 
to tend the cows at Brindaban! It was Thou Who heldst between 
Thy fingers that enchanting flute of yours which once took the minds 
of the Gopis ! 

It was Thou Who once raisedst on Thy arm the hill of Govardhan 
and thus kept Brindaban from destruction ! O, it was Thou Who 
fellest at the feet of the Gopis to atone for the offence of wounding 
their dignity ; and had the moon of Thy clear face swimming in tears 
of repentant love! 

(O, Sweet Lord ! Thou hast taken my mind !) 

Everybody pressed M. to sing. M. is shy and asketh in 
whispers to be excused. 

Girish (to the Master, and smiling): — Sir, we cannot with all 
our efforts make M. sing a single song! (Laughter.) 

Sri Ramakrishna (annoyed): — He will no doubt show his 
teeth at school! Strange that all his shyness doth spring up 
at the time of chanting the Name of the Lord! 

M. looketh blank and stupid for some time. 

Suresh (Mitra), another disciple, is seated at some distance 
from the Master. Sri Ramakrishna smileth on him affection- 
ately and pointeth to Girish. 

1 Hari. 2 Gour. 



2 1 2 QOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Suresh): — Dost thou talk of the wild life 
that thou once livedst? O, here is one who is very much 
more than thy match! (Laughter.) 

Suresh (laughing): — That is indeed true, Revered Sir! He is 
my dada (respected elder brother) in that respect. (Laughter.) 

Girish (to Master): — I never paid attention to my studies in 
my boyhood. How is it, Revered Sir, that people do insist 
on calling me learned in spite of all this? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Mahima Chakravarti has gone through a 
pretty large number of the Sacred Books. 

(To M.) Is it not so M.? 

M.: — Quite so, Revered Sir. 

Girish: — What dost thou speak about, Sir? Is it about learn- 
ing? Then excuse me, Sir, I am not the person to stand in 
awe before it. 

Master (smiling): — Dost thou know what / think of it? 
Books — Sacred Scriptures — all point the way to God. Once 
thou knowest the way what is the use of books? Then the 
hour cometh for the culture of the Soul in solitary communion 
with God. 

A person had received a letter in which he was asked to 
send certain things to his kinsmen. He was going to order 
the purchase of the things when, looking about for the letter, 
he found it was missing! He searched for a long time. His 
people also joined him in the search. At last the letter was 
found and his joy knew no bounds. With great eagerness he 
took it up and went through its contents. They ran as follows: 
— 'Please to send five seers (ten pounds) of sweetmeats 1 and 
one piece of cloth.' When he knew of the contents he threw 
the letter on one side and set forth to get together the things 
wanted. 

How long then doth one care for such a letter? So long as 
one knoweth not of its contents. The next step is to put forth 
one's efforts to get the things desired. 

Similarly the Sacred Books only tell us of the way leading 
to God, i. e., of the means for the realization of God. The 
way being known the next step is to work one's way to the 
goal. Realization is the goal. 

What is the use of mere book-learning? The Pandits 
(scholars) may be familiar with plenty of sacred texts and 
couplets. But what is the good of repeating them? One must 

1 Sandesh. 



VIS1 TING A T DISCIPLES' HOUSES 2 1 3 

realize in one's soul all that is mentioned in the Scriptures. 
Mere reading shall not bring knowledge or salvation, so long 
as one is attached to the world, so long as one loves 'Lust 
and Gold.' 

In the almanac it is recorded that the rainfall will reach 20 
adas (measures of capacity). Wring the almanac but not a 
drop will come out! not a single drop! although thou mayst 
want it very much! (Laughter.) 

Girish (smiling): — Revered Sir, what dost thou say about the 
almanac? Will not a single drop come out of it? (Laughter.) 

Master (smiling): — Oh, the scholar will talk very big, but he 
will look down all the time from his high place upon 'Lust 
and Gold' or, in other words, on sensual pleasure and the 
'almighty dollar.' 

The vulture soareth high up in the sky but its looks are 
fixed on charnel-pits — places where the carcasses of dead 
animals are thrown. (Laughter.) Oh, they have a keen eye 
from their high place on those pits and carcasses below! 

Master (to Girish): — Narendra is a young man of a very high 
order. He is in for everything: — singing, playing on musical 
instruments on the one hand, the study of the 
Narendra various branches of knowledge on the other. 

He possesseth the virtues of temperance and 
truthfulness and, what is more, is already beginning to know 
that God is Real, that things of the world are of a fleeting 
nature, and that one should not be attached to them. Many 
and various are the qualities that he hath. 

(To M.): — Well! Dost thou not think he is very good? 

M. : — Quite so, Revered Sir; he is, indeed, as thou hast 
described him. 

Sri Ramakrishna (aside to M.): — Just look at his (Girish's) 
devotion to the Lord and in his faith in Him — which is as 
firm as a rock! 

M. looketh on Girish with wonder. Girish hath been walk- 
ing with the Master only for some days past. But M. seeth in 
him a familiar friend and brother — his own flesh and blood 
— one of the shining gems strung together with one and the 
same thread into a necklace! 



Narayan said, 'Revered Sir, shall we not have the pleasure 
of listening to thy songs?' 



214 GOSPEL OF SRI TIAMAKRISHNA 

Upon this the Master chanted the Name of the Divine 
Mother of the Universe in a voice that in its sweetness did 
capture the heart of every one present. 

SONG 
The Beloved Mother of the Universe 

1 . Oh my soul ! do thou clasp to thy heart my Beloved Mother. 
Let thee and me alone have the privilege of looking on Her ; 
Let Her be seen by none else, by none else! 

2. The desires — oh get out of their way, my soul; and then let us 
enjoy Her Presence alone ; only let us have the organ of taste for our 
sole companion to cry out unto Her, saying, '•' Mother, O Mother ! " 

3. There are the evil desires; there are those which point to us 
the path leading to worldliness ; Oh, do not let them come near us! 

Let the eye of Wisdom that leadeth Godward keep watch and keep 
us from evil. 

The Master then singeth another song as if he were placed 
in the position of the weary and heavy-laden men of the world, 
who bend under the weight of their trials and sufferings. 

SONG 
The Mother and Weary Children 

1 . Oh Mother 1 ! Thou art made of Bliss Everlasting ; why then is 
it denied unto me ? 

2. My soul, O Good Mother! knoweth not anything but the lotus 
of Thy hallowed Feet. 

Why then doth the Ruler of Death, the King of Justice, find fault 
with me ? Tell me what answer to make to that dreaded King ? 

3. It was my heart's wish, O Mother! to repeat Thy sacred Name 
and go my way across this sea of the world. Not even in my dream 
had I the least idea that I should be drowned by Thee in this shore- 
less ocean. 

Day and night, O Mother! Thou Consort of the God of Eternity! 
have I been repeating Thy sacred Name, which bringeth salvation 
unto Thy weary children. But alas ! my endless troubles will never 
leave me ; I only regret that if I am not saved no one else will ever 
take Thy Name. 

The Master next singeth about the Joy of the Divine Mother, 
the Manifested Energy of the Absolute. He seeth with his 
own spiritual insight the Joy of the Mother, the Personal God 
(Who createth, preserveth and destroyeth) felt in communion 
with the Impersonal! 

1 Durga. 



VISITING A T "DISCIPLES' HOUSES 2 1 5 

SONG 
The Great Mystery ! The Personal-Impersonal Ecstasy 

1. In the company of the Absolute 1 , O Mother, Thou art always 
immersed in sportive Joy. 

2. Thou art deep drunk with the wine of that Joy. Thou reelest 
but losest not Thy footing ! The Absolute, the Husband, lieth down 
and moveth not*. 

3. Thou standest on His Breast and lookest as if Thou hadst lost 
all control over Thyself. 

4. The Universe quaketh under the weight of Thy Feet. Mad are 
Thy Looks as well as those of Thy Consort. 

The disciples listen to the songs in deep silence. What 
striketh them is the change that hath come over the Master. 
He is beside himself with the Joy of the Lord — intoxicated 
with the Unbounded Bliss. 

The song came to an end. The Master saith after a while, 
'I am sorry I could not sing well to-day; I have caught cold!' 

CHAPTER IV. 

AT THE CLOSE OF DAY 

It is evening. The shadows of Eternity have fallen on the 
ocean-breast, and on the deep dense forest, and on the sum- 
mits of mountains that kiss the firmament on high. They 
have cast a gloom on the boundless expanse round about and 
on the solitary bank of the undulating river that sendeth forth 
the never-ceasing sound of its many waters. At the sight of 
this sacred, solemn gloom, little, puny man cannot help 
being in another state of mind. The sun, he was only a few 
moments back giving light to all nature, inanimate as well as 
animate! Whither is he gone? The question puzzles the 
child — a being who is new to the world! It appealeth no less 
to the holy man, for he hath the soul of a child. He feeleth 
that he is always in the presence and care of his Divine 
Mother. It is evening! What a miracle! And wrought by 
what a Wonderful Being! The birds come together and sing 
on the boughs of trees. Human beings too do the same thing 
— those amongst them in whom the spirit within has waked 
up. They sing the name of the Lord. 

1 Siva. 

* Does this mean that we receive no message from the Absolute and that the personal 
side of God is the only actor before our eyes? 



2 1 6 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

It is evening. The disciples would not leave their seats. 
With their heads upraised and their eager ears they listen to 
the sweet Name of the Lord chanted by the Master — sweeter, 
as repeated by him, than any they have ever heard before! 

Yes, they have never heard another child calling out so 
sweetly to its Mother, saying, 'Ma, Ma!' It seemeth as if 
drops of nectar fall from the Master's lips. The infinite sky, the 
heaven-kissing mountains, the deep blue ocean, the boundless 
expanse, the deep, dense wilderness — what is the use now to 
go amongst them in quest of the Divine Father and Mother of 
the Universe? What is the use now of fixing one's attention 
on the 'cow's horns' or her feet or any other parts of her 
body? The Master hath spoken of the Udder of the Cow 
to-day — from which to draw the milk of Divine Love! Is it 
indeed given to me to behold the Vision of God-Incarnate in 
this very room? What else could have brought unto the hearts 
of the disciples — those that are weary and heavy-laden — the 
Peace that passeth all Understanding and the Joy that is of 
the Lord? What else could have made this vale of tears flow 
over with joy? Is it possible that the man before me is God- 
Incarnate? Whether he is so or not my mind and heart and 
soul are his own — to deal with just as he pleasethi He is 
already the Pole-star of this enigmatical life! It is for me now 
to watch how in his great soul the Supreme Being, the Cause 
of causes, is reflected! 

Thus did some of the disciples think within themselves. 
They felt they were blessed as they heard the Master chant 
the Name of the sweet Lord God 1 , the Name of the Father 
Who taketh away all trouble, all sin and iniquity — and the 
Name of the Divine Mother. 

The chanting of the names being over, the Master prayeth 

unto the Mother. It seemeth as if the God of Love hath taken 

a human body in order to teach man how to 

The Master Teacheth g . h R .^ (Q Mother ) J thrQW 

How to Pray i> -1-1 11 r -r-i 

self upon lhy mercy — may the lotus or lny 
Feet ever keep me from whatever leadeth Thy children away 
from Thee! I seek not, Good Mother, ths pleasures of the 
senses! I seek not fame! Nor do I long for those powers 
which enable one to do miracles! What I pray for, O Good 
Mother, is pure Love 2 for Thee — love for Thee untainted by 
desires, love without alloy, love that seeketh not the things of 

iHari. 2 Bhakti. 



VISITING A T "DISCIPLES HOUSES 2 1 7 

the world, love for Thee that welleth up unbidden out of the 
depths of the immortal soul! Grant likewise, O Mother, that 
Thy child, bewitched by the fascinations of the world-system 1 
may not forget Thee! — yes, forget Thee, entangled in this 
charming net of the world 2 that Thou hast woven under him, 
made of 'Lust and Gold!' O, grant that he may never be 
charmed into loving these! O, Good Mother, seest Thou not 
that Thy child hath none else in the world but Thee! O, I 
know not how to chant Thy Name! Devoid am I of deep 
devotion, — of knowledge, too, that leadeth unto Thee — 
devoid of genuine Love 3 for Thee! O, vouchsafe unto me 
that Love out of Thy Infinite Mercy!" 

This evening prayer — is it called for in the case of this 
God-Man? — for him who chanteth the Name of the Lord day 
and night? — for him out of whose hallowed mouth there 
floweth a never-ceasing stream of prayers unto the Most 
High? Is it then that the Master observeth these forms with a 
view to teach mankind how to live and pray? 

% H« * ♦ * 

Girish has invited Sri Ramakrishna to his house. He must 
come that very night. 

Master: — Dost thou not think it will be late? 

Girish: — No, Revered Sir; thou wilt come away as early as 
thou pleasest. As for myself I shall have to go to the theatre* — 
they have quarrelled amongst themselves and I shall have to 
make it up. 

Going downstairs from the first floor he hath become like 
another being. He looketh as if he were lost in the thought 
of God; he looketh as if he has drunk deep! He is followed 
by his disciples Narayan and M. A little behind come Ram, 
Chuni and others. 

Yes, lost! It seems as if sense-consciousness were beginning 
to leave him. Narayan comes forward to hold him by the 
hand lest he misses his footing. The Master seems annoyed. 

A short while and he saith to Narayan with great tender- 
ness, "If thou holdest me by the hand people will say, he is 
a drunkard; let me walk on without any help." 

He crosseth the next turning at Bosepara just a little way 
from Girish's house. What is it that maketh him walk so fast? 

1 Maya. 2 Samsara. 3 Bhakti. 



* Girish was manager of the ' Star Theatre. 



218 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKR1SHNA 

The disciples are left behind! No one knoweth what Divine 
Idea hath found its way into his heart. 

What is it that maketh him walk like a mad man? Is it 
because he is thinking of that Being Who in the Vedanta is 
said to be beyond the reach of word and thought? Just a 
little while ago at Balaram's house he declared that the Being 
is not beyond the reach of the Purified Supersensual Mind; 
that He may indeed be realized by the Pure Mind, which is 
the same thing as the Pure Reason, — which is the same thing 
as the Pure Soul! Or it may be that he is at the present 
moment beholding that Being as a Reality! 

Is this realizing "Whatever is, is God?" 

Ah! here is Narendra coming! Many a day hath the Master 
cried, saying, 'Narendra, Narendra, Narendra,' like one gone 
mad! But now Narendra is here before him and yet he 
exchangeth no word with him ! Is this what people call Bhava 
(God-consciousness) — a state into which Gouranga (Chaitanya) 
is said to have been constantly thrown? Who is there to look 
through the mystery of God-consciousness? 

He hath come up to the end of the lane leading to Girish's 
house. The disciples all walk after him. 

Now he will speak to Narendra. Saith he, "Is it well with 
thee, my child? I had not the power to talk till now to thee." 
Every word that falleth from his lips is marked by tenderness. 

He hath not as yet come up to the door of the house. All 
at once he stoppeth. He looketh at Narendra and saith, "One 
word — this is one of the two (the human soul) and that is 
another (cosmos?)." 

Was he indeed looking on the soul and on the world? If 
so, in what light? He was looking on speechless! 

One or two words have dropped from his hallowed lips 
— like some solemn texts from the Inspired Scriptures, the 
Vedas — like unto the blessed Word of God! 

Or was it as if one had gone to the Shore of the Infinite 
Ocean and stood up there speechless, looking on the Bound- 
less Expanse, and had heard one or two echoes from the 
Never-ceasing Voice that cometh up from the Eternal Deep? 



VISITING A T DISCIPLES' HOUSES 2 1 9 

CHAPTER V. 

ALL ABOUT GOD INCARNATE 

At the door standeth Girish. He hath come forth to meet 
the Master. The Master cometh up, the disciples coming 
after. At the blessed sight Girish falleth at his feet upon his 
face like a rod! The sight is indeed a blessed one and the 
disciples look on with awe and admiration. 

Girish ariseth at his bidding. He receiveth on his head 
and person the dust of his hallowed feet. He leadeth the 
way to the drawing-room where the Master and the disciples 
take their seats. The disciples are eager to sit close to the 
Master. They long to drink the nectar of his words that 
bring Everlasting Life. 

He is about to take his seat, when he nndeth a newspaper 

lying by his side. Newspapers have to do with worldly- 

. minded men and with worldly matters, — with 

Newspapers and • i • 1 1 1 tJ ^L 

Sri Ramakrishna gossip and with scandals. Hence they are 

unholy objects — in his eyes. He maketh a 

sign and the paper is put away. Upon this he taketh his seat. 

Nityagopal boweth down and saluteth his feet. 

Master (toNitya): — Well! and then? 

Nitya: — Yes, Revered Sir, I was unable to come to Dakshine- 
shwara. I was out of sorts. There was pain all over the body. 

Master: — Art thou keeping well now? 

Nitya: — Not very well, I am sorry to say. 

Master: — Thou hadst better remain one or two notes below 
the highest in the scale! 

Nitya: — Company does not agree with me. They say of 
me all manner of things. That putteth me into a fright. At 
times I am quite free from fear and I feel the strength of the 
Spirit within me. 

Master: — That is only natural. Who is thy constant com- 
panion? 

Nitya: — Tarak. At times even he does not agree with the 
state of my mind. 

Master :Nangta* used to say that he had at his monastery 
an ascetic who had acquired some miraculous powers. He 
used to go about with his eyes fixed on the sky. His com- 
panion Ganesh Gorgy left him and he became disconsolate \ 

* Nangta. — The Sannyasin (Tota Puri) who taught Vedanta Philosophy to Sri Rama- 
krishna for close upon one year. 



220 GOSPEL OF SRI <HAM A KRISHNA 

By this time a change hath come over the Master. Speech- 
less doth he remain for a while! 

Getting back into consciousness he saith, 'Thou hast come, 
hast thou? Well, I am here too!' 

Who will pretend to fathom this mystery? Is this the 
language of the Gods? 

Among the disciples who sat at this occasion at the feet of 
the Master were Narendra, Girish, Ram, Haripada, Chuni, 
Balaram, M., and many others. 

Narendra doth not believe in the Incarnation of God. On 
the other hand Girish hath a burning faith that God incar- 
nateth Himself from age to age in this world of ours. The 
Master wisheth that they should argue the point before hirh. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Girish): — I should like to see you both 
talking over the matter in English. (Laughter.) 

They talked on, — not, however, in English, but in Bengali, 
mixed with one or two English words. Narendra saith, "God 
is Infinite, it is beyond our power to conceive Him by means 
of our poor intellect. God is in every human being. It is not 
the case that He is manifest only in one particular individual." 

The Master (affectionately): — I quite concur He is in every 
object, in every human being; only there is a difference in the 
manifestation of Divine Energy in those objects. Sometimes 
the Divine Energy manifest in certain objects leadeth one 
away from God. It is then called Ignorance 1 . When it leadeth 
Godward it is called Knowledge 2 . Again, the Manifested 
Energy is greater in some "Vessels" and less in others. Thus 
it is that all men are not equal. 

Ram: — What is the use of all this idle talk? 

Master (sharply): — No, no, there is a good deal of meaning 
in all this. 

Girish (to Narendra): — How dost thou know that God does 
not take a human body, and thus incarnate Himself? 

Narendra: — Surely God cannot be realized by words or by 
the mind! 

Master: — Quite so; not by the finite conditioned mind. But 
He can be realized by the Pure Mind stripped of its sensuous 
nature by means of culture. Then this very mind becometh 
the same as Pure Reason or the Faculty of the Unconditioned ; 
which is the same thing as the Pure Unconditioned Soul 3 . In this 
'wise did the Holy Sages realize the Pure Unconditioned Soul. 

1 Avidya. 2 Vidya. 3 Atman. 4 Rishis. 



VISITING A T DISCIPLES HOUSES 22 1 

Girish (to Narendra): — Dost thou not see that if God is not 
incarnate there will be none else to make all these things 
clear and solve all these problems? God incarnateth Himself 
and becometh man in order to teach what is True Knowledge, 
what again is True Devotion or the Love of God. Who else 
is there to teach? 

Narendra: — Why! He will certainly teach me within my heart ! 

Master (affectionately): — That is indeed so. He will teach 
as Ruler of the heart within 1 . 

The discussion groweth warm. It turneth on matters too 
high for human comprehension. 'Infinite' — is it divisible? 
What doth Hamilton say as to the limits of human knowledge ; 
and Herbert Spencer — and Tyndal — and Huxley? 

Master (aside to M.): — I for my part do not like these things. 
God is beyond the power of reasoning. Something more: I 
see that whatever is, is God. What then is the good of reasoning 
about Him? I do actually see that whatever is, is God. 

Master: — It is He Who hath become all these things! 'It is 

this and it is also that which seemeth to contradict this!' 

There is a stage at which the mind and the 

The Saint Ramanuja determinative faculty 2 are lost in the 'Absolute 

and His Doctrine of l • l .1 1 1 f 

Qualified Non.Duaiism —which cannot be conceived as made up of 
or Vishishtadwaitavada parts. At the sight or Narendra my mind 
getteth lost 3 in the Absolute; — what, pray, 
dost thou say to this? 

Girish (smiling): — I hope, Revered Sir, thou dost not think 
that we understand everything else? (Laughter.) 

Master: — Thereupon at the end of the Samadhi I must come 
down two notes at least below the Highest note in the scale 
before I can utter another word! 

Vedanta has been explained by Sankara. Another point of 
view is that of Ramanuja, who putteth forward the doctrine 
of qualified non-dualism . 

Narendra (to Master): — Sir, may I ask what is meant by 
Vishishtatwaitavada ? 

Master (to Narendra): — There is this doctrine 4 , the view of 
Ramanuja; r. e., the Absolute 5 must not be considered apart 
from the world and the soul. The Three between them form 
into One — Three in One and One in Three! 

Let us take a Bel fruit. Let the shell, the seeds and the 
kernel be kept separate. Now suppose somebody wanted to 

1 Antaryamin. 2 Buddhi. 3 Samadhi. 4 Vishishtadwaitavada. 5 Brahman. 



222 GOSPEL OF SRI "RAMAKRISHNA 

know the weight of the fruit. Surely it would not do now to 
weigh the kernel alone of the fruit. The shell, the seeds and 
the kernel are next all weighed with a view to knowing the 
real weight of the fruit. No doubt we reason at the outset 
that the all-important thing is the k erne h and not either the 
shell or the seeds. In the next place we go on reasoning, say- 
ing that the shell and the seeds belong to the same Substance* 
to which the kernel belongeth. At the first stage of reasoning 
we say, 'Not this,' 'Not this.' Thus the Absolute 1 is not-soul 
(not the finite individual soul). Again, It is not the world 
either. The Absolute is the only Reality, all else is unreal. 
At the next stage we go a little further. We see that the 
kernel belongeth to the same Substance as that to which the 
shell and the seeds belong. Hence the Substance from which 
we derive our negative conception of the 'Absolute' is the 
identical Substance from which we derive our conception of 
the final soul and the phenomenal world. Your 'Relative " 
must be traced to that very Being to which your 'Absolute ' 
must be traced. Hence, as Ramanuja saith, the Absolute is 
qualified by the finite soul and the phenomenal world. This 
is the doctrine of qualified non-dualism. 

CHAPTER VI. 

GOD- VISION 

Master (aside to M.): — I do see that Being as a Reality 
before my very eyes! Why then should I reason? I do actu- 
ally see that it is the Absolute Who hath become all things 
about us; it is He Who appeareth as the finite soul and the 
phenomenal world! One must have an awakening of the 
spirit within to see this Reality. How long must one reason 
or discriminate, saying, 'Not this,' 'Not this!' Why, so long as 
one is unable to see Him as a Reality. Of course it would 
not do for a person merely to say, 'I have seen beyond the 
possibility of a doubt that it is He Who hath become all.' 
Mere saying is not enough. By the Lord's grace the spirit must 
be quickened. Spiritual awakening is followed by Samadhi. 
In this state one forgetteth that one hath a body; one loseth 
all attachment to things of the world — 'Lust and Gold;' one 

1 Brahman. 2 Lila. 3 Nitya. 

* Substantia — Spinoza's ' Ethica." 



VISITING A T "DISCIPLES' HOUSES 223 

liketh no other words than those relating to God; one is 
sorely troubled if called upon to listen to worldly matters. 

The spirit whitin being awakened, the next step is the real- 
ization of the Universal Spirit. It is the Spirit that can realize 
the Spirit. 

After the discussion was over, the Master saith to M., "O, 

I have observed there is a good deal of difference between 

■ , , the mere intellectual apprehension of God by 

God-Incarnate and • i • ••_..•■.! l.i i • 

Revelation reasoning or discrimination and the realiza- 

tion by meditation 2 in solitude; and again 
between these on the one hand and the realization through 
His grace! If out of His abundant grace He maketh us realize 
what is God Incarnate, then all reasoning would be quite 
thrown away — it would need nobody to explain what is an 
Incarnation. 

Let me make this clear to you. A person, suppose, is in a 
dark room. He rubbeth the matches on the side of the box 
and all at once a light is struck! If the Lord is gracious 
enough to strike the light for us and dissipate the darkness of 
ignorance, then it is that all doubts shall cease forever! This 
sort of disputation shall never carry us far. 

Upon this the Master inviteth Narendra to be seated by his 
side. He maketh many kind inquiries about him and cares- 

seth him." 
God the Absolute or Naren j ra ( to Master): — Why, Revered Sir, I 

Impersonal, and uod ■,. . »• i l r^v • IV A l 3 

P ersona l meditate in solitude on the Divine Mother 

for three or four days together; but nothing 
hath come of it. 

Master: — All in its good time; do not be impatient. Mother 
is not a different Being from God the Absolute. The Mother 
is the Personal side of God the Absolute. When thought of 
apart from His works the Supreme Being is called God the 
Absolute. Again, when we think of God as creating, preserv- 
ing, and destroying, i. e., in relation to His works, we call the 
same Being the Personal God, the Divine Mother*. 

The same Being to Whom you apply the name of Brahman 
of the Vedanta, I call by the name of Mother. 

God the Absolute or Impersonal and God Personol are the 
same, just as fire and its burning power are the same — in the 

iVichar. 2Dhayna. 3 Kali. 

* Kali — Mother of the universe, the Consort of Eternity or the Absolute — the Personal 
God or God in His relations to the Conditioned. 



224 GOSPEL OF SRI 'RAMAKRISHNA 

sense that the one cannot be thought of without the other. If 
you postulate the Personal you must postulate the Impersonal; 
if you talk of the Impersonal you must already have taken the 
Personal for granted. 

It is getting late. Girish must go out to the theatre — of 
which he is a manager. He saith to Haripada, "Be good 
enough, my brother, to call a cab; — I shall have to go to the 
theatre." 

Master (smiling to Haripada): — Mind, a cab, bring you 
must! Don't forget. (Laughter.) 

Haripada (smiling): — No, Revered Sir. Am I not going on 
that errand? (Laughter.) 

Girish (to Master); — I am afraid I must leave thee, Revered 
Sir, and go out to my place of business, the theatre, unfortunate 
that I am! 

Master: — No! Thou must serve both parties. Janaka served 
God unattached to the world. He looked to the interests of 
both, this world and the next. He drank of the 'cup of milk' 
but did not forget the soul. 

Girish: — I am thinking, Revered Sir, of giving up the theatre 
and of making them over into the hands of the younger 
fellows. 

Master: — No, no; it is all right, as it is. You need not have 
any such idea. You are doing good to many. 

Narendra (softly): — Just a moment ago he was calling him 
God-Incarnate! I suppose he must now leave his God-Incar- 
nate to himself, be off to the theatre and mind his own 
business! 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE MASTER IN SAMADHI 

The Master hath Narendra seated by his side. He fixeth 
his eyes on him. He moveth down to sit closer to him. 
Narendra doth not believe that God incarnateth Himself. But 
what doth that signify? The Master's love for him is as great 
as ever! 

Touching his person the Master saith to him, "Dost thou 
feel that thy dignity hath been wounded? Be it so; we, too, 
are of the same mind with thee and feel for thee*." 

* These were words addressed hy her companions, the Gopis of Brindaban, to Raddha, 
the greatest lover of God Incarnate, Sri Krishna. 



VISITING A T 'DISCIPLES' HOUSES 225 

Did the Master see with his inner eye that, after all, Naren- 
dra was right in declining to admit that God could incarnate 
Himself? Is He not our own Father and Mother? Why doth 
He not then strike the light in the inner chamber of the soul 
and give us the power of beholding the Blessed Vision as 
God Incarnate? Is not His own child justified in having a 
sense of wounded dignity upon being denied the inheritance 
of True Knowledge, which he may well claim to be his own 
by the right of birth? 

(To Narendra): — So long as one goeth on questioning and 

reasoning about God, one hath not seen Him as a reality. Ye 

two were engaged in disputation. That, how- 

Disputation and the , . vi • 

Realization of God f^er, was not to my liking. 

How long may the noise last that is produced 
in a house where a feast is made, to which a large party is 
called? Why, so long as thej' have not commenced to eat. 
When dishes are served and the guests fall to, three-fourths 
of the noise is gone. Then the courses of sweet-meats — the 
more they are dealt out, the more doth the noise subside; 
when the turn cometh for the curds (the last course) one only 
sound is given, viz., 'Soop-sup.' The feast over, the next thing 
for the guest is to go to sleep! 

The nearer thou comest to God the less art thou disposed 
to question and reason. When thou comest up to Him, when 
thou beholdest Him as the Reality, — then all noise — all dis- 
putations are at an end. Then it is the time for sleep, i. e., 
for enjoyment which cometh in Samadhi, in which one is in a 
state of communion with the Blessed Vision Divine. 

Saying this, the Master gently stroketh Narendra's person, 
toucheth his sweet face and caresseth him, saying, Hari 
Om,' 'Hari Om,' 'Hari Om' (/. e., God the Absolute). 

Why is he doing all this? Does the Master behold the 
Vision Divine manifest in Narendra? Does he behold the 
Real Man in the apparent man before him? Is this the same 
as seeing God-in-man? 

What a miracle passeth before the eyes of the disciples! 
Look on the Master, and see how his sense-consciousness 
beginneth to leave him! Look again, and see it hath left Him 
altogether! Is this the half-outer-consciousness spoken of 
about Gouranga (Chaitanya), God of Love-Incarnate at Nadia! 
Even now, the Master's hand continueth to rest on Narendra's 
body! Is he actually engaged in serving God (Narayana) 



226 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

manifest in the man before him and touching his feet? Or, is 
he breathing into him the Inspiration 1 , the Power, that cometh 
from above. 

Look! Yet other changes come over the Master! Behold 
what he saith to Narendra with folded hands! "A song (do 
thou sing): — then I shall be restored — how else shall I be 
able to stand on my legs? — my Nitai! — O! He is deep drunk, 
intoxicated with the wine of Divine Love, the Love of Gour- 
anga (God Incarnate)," 

A short while and he is speechless again — speechless like 
a figure cut out of marble! Drunk with the joy of the Lord, 
the Master goeth on saying — 

"Take care, Radha, lest thou fallest into the Jamuna, O! 
Thou mad with ecstatic love for Him Who hath incarnated 
Himself at Brindaban, the Lord Sri Krishna!" 

Once more in deep Samadhi! getting back into sense-con- 
sciousness he repeateth portions of a well-known song — 

O ! my friend how far is that blessed Woodland (the land where is 
to be seen my own Beloved One)? 

(Behold ; here cometh the fragrance from the Blessed Person of 
my Beloved !) 

(" I am unable to take any step forward, Oh my friend ! ") 

Now he hath lost all sense of the world — he doth not bear 
in mind anything or any person in his present state — Naren- 
dra is seated before him, but apparently he doth not see him. 
He hath lost all sense of time and space! The mind and the 
heart and the Soul have all become absorbed in God! 

Behold, he standeth up saying, "Deep drunk with the wine 
of Divine Love, with love for the Fair Lord!" A few mo- 
ments and he taketh his seat. 

He saith, "Yonder is a light coming this way — but I cannot 
even now say which way the light cometh from." It is now 
that Narendra goeth on to sing. 

SONG 

God- Vision 

1 . Oh Lord ! Thou hast blessed me with Thy vision and Thou 
hast sent away all my troubles — 

A charm hast Thou thrown over my soul ! 

2. Beholding Thee as a Reality, the Seven Worlds have forgotten 
their grief! 

1 Shakti-sanchara. 



VISITING A T 'DISCIPLES' HOUSES 227 

Not to speak of my poor self so worthy of Thy Pity and Thy Lov- 
ing Kindness ! 

Listening to the song the Master hath once more lost all 
sense of the outer world! His eyes are closed. His body and 
limbs — they move not! He is in a deep Samadhi. 



The Samadhi is over. He exclaimeth, "Who is it that will 
take me home to the Temple?" 

A child looking for a companion! Left alone, it seeth 
nothing but darkness round about. 

It is getting late. It is the night of the 1 Oth day of the dark 
fortnight in Falgun. The Master hath set his face to go to the 
Temple at Dakshineshwara. He is seated in the cab which 
will take him there. The disciples all stand up on either side 
of the carriage to see him off. Even now is he deep drunk 
with the joy of the Lord! 

The cab rolleth away. The disciples look on for a few 
moments and then go their ways, each to his own home. 



SECTION XII. 

1S85 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT SHYAMPUKUR (CALCUTTA) WITH THE 
DISCIPLES; AND ISHAN, DR. SARKAR AND OTHERS 

CHAPTER I. 
IS GOD WITH FORM OR WITHOUT FORM ? 

It is the fourteenth day of the light fortnight after Durga 
Puja; Thursday, 22d of October, 1885. The Master is at 
Shyampukur (a district in Calcutta) and is under the treatment 
of Dr. Sarkar and other physicians. This day, besides Dr. 
Sarkar, Girish (Ghosh), Islan (Mukhopadhyaya), M., and many 
other disciples and Bhaktas are present. 

Sri Ramakrishna talks with a smiling face to everybody; 
Ishan, Girish and the Doctor take part in the conversation. 



Doctor: — Knowledge (of God's works) maketh one speech- 
less; his eyes are closed and he is in tears! Here cometh the 
Love of God. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — The Love 1 of God is a lady and hath 
access to the zenana (the inner apartments). Knowledge 
(derived by reasoning) can get only into the quarters reserved 
for men but cannot enter into Inner Apartments — the Sanctum 
— the Holy of Holies. 

Doctor: — That is indeed true. But women of questionable 
character should not be admitted into the zenana, — for instance, 
women of the town. Hence the need for Knowledge. Every 
fool should not be allowed to get in because he saith, 'I love 

God: 

Sri Ramakrishna: — If a person is sincere and yearns towards 
God he will in the end realize Him; whether he knoweth 
Philosophy or not. If in his search after the Lord he cometh 
into a wrong path the Lord will lead him forth to the Goal, 
provided he thirsteth after Him. A certain devotee went out 
on a pilgrimage to Puri; but not knowing the way he went 
due west instead of south. In his longing to see the Holy 
Image he asked people which way he should go. They said, 

1 Bhakti. 



WITH THE "DISCIPLES AND T>R. SARKAR 229 

'Go thy way towards the south. Thou hast lost sight of the 
true path leading to the Temple.' 

Doctor: — Well, the man in his ignorance did lose his way. 

Master: — People talk of errors and superstitions, and pride 
themselves upon book-learning. But the sincere devotee 
findeth the Loving Lord ever ready to lend him a helping 
hand. It mattereth not that he hath been for a time walking 
along a wrong path. The Lord knoweth what we want, and 
in the end fulnlleth the desire of our heart. 
■ _ . . „ The question was asked whether God is with 

Is God with Form or r . 1 , r 

without Form? form or without form ; • 

Sri Ramakrishna: — God is with form as well 
as 'without form.' 

A certain monk 1 went to the Temple of Jaggannath at Puri. 
He had doubts as to whether God is with form or without 
form. When he saw the Holy Image he desired to examine 
this. He passed his staff from the left to the right in order to 
feel if it touched the Image. For a time he could not see 
anything or feel with the staff! So he decided that God was 
without form. When he was about to pass the staff from the 
right side to the left it touched the Image! So the monk 
decided that God was both with form and without form. 

But it is very difficult to realize this. He that is without 
form — how can he be with form? This question naturally 
ariseth in the mind. 

Doctor: — He hath made forms; hence He is with form. 
Again, He hath created the Mind, which has no form. 
Hence, He, the Creator, is without form. Thus it is possible 
for Him to be both with form and without form. 

Master: — Unless one seeth God one is not able to realize 
all this. For the sake of those that love the Lord, He mani- 
festeth Himself in various ways and in various forms. 

A dyer had his own way of dyeing cloths. He would ask 
the customer, 'In what color dost thou want thy cloth dyed?' 
If he said 'red' the dyer dipped the cloth in his tub, brought 
it out saying, 'Here is thy cloth deyd red,' Another wanteth 
his cloth dyed yellow. The dyer dippeth it in the same tub, 
bringeth it up, and behold, the cloth is dyed yellow. In the 
same way, when another color is wanted — blue or orange or 
violet or green — the same tub is used with the like result. 

1 Sannyasin. 



230 GOSPEL OF SRI "RAMAKRISHNA 

A customer who was watching all this came up to the dyer 
and said, 'My friend, I am not fond of any one color. I desire 
to consult thy taste and should like to have my cloth dyed just 
as thou pleaseth. I want the color in which thou hast dyed 
thyself.' {Laughter.) 

The Lord manifesteth Himself, as with form or without 
form, with particular reference to the need of the devotee. 
The manifested Vision is relatively true, i. e., relatively to 
different men who are, in the first place, limited, conditioned 
beings, and, in the second place, placed in the midst of 
different things round about them. The Divine Dyer alone 
knoweth in what color He hath dyed Himself. Verily He is 
not bound by any limitation as to form or manifestations or 
the negation thereof, 

A man said to his friend, 'My friend, I went to the foot of 
the tree up there and saw a beautiful animal of a red color/ 
His friend said, 'O, I have seen it, too. Thou sayest it is red. 
That is not the case, it is green.' The third man said, 'No, no, 
I saw it too, I saw it yellow.' Others testified that they were 
sure that the color was orange, blue, green and so forth. 
From words they were about to come to blows, when another 
man came in. He heard everything and bade them hold their 
peace, saying, 'Behold, I abide at the foot of the tree, and I 
know the animal very well. Every one of you is right; for it 
is a chameleon, which changeth its color every moment. It 
is now red, now green, now yellow, now blue and so on. 
What is more, I see that sometimes it is colorless. 

He who hath left all for the sake of the Lord — who liveth 
under the tree of life and watcheth, — to him it is given to 
know what the Lord is like. He knoweth that the Lord 
manifesteth Himself in diverse forms to His devotees. The 
Chameleon, — now He is red, now yellow, now orange, now 
green! — and now absolutely devoid of color! He is the Omni- 
potent Being, Creating, Preserving, Destroying — possessed of 
Attributes the thought of which striketh us dumb. But that is 
only as He manifesteth Himself to Man. He is, again, the 
Absolute of Whom nothing can be predicated, like unto the 
chameleon which is devoid of all color! 

Yes, He is both with form and without form, as thou sayest. 
Just think of a shoreless ocean. When it is very cold, the 
water near the surface changeth into ice. And the ice taketh 



WITH THE "DISCIPLES AND <DR. SARKAR 231 

different forms in different places. But when the sun is up 
and shineth upon the ice, it melteth away. 

The shoreless Ocean is God. The intense cold is the soft, 
cooling influence of Devotion 1 or the Love of God. The ice 
appearing under different forms is God, manifesting Himself, 
as it were, to the devotees under the cooling influence of his 
deep devotion. The melting away of the ice under different 
forms is the disappearance of the Spiritual Forms (in which 
the Lord manifesteth Himself) under the burning rays of the 
Sun of Knowledge Absolute realized in Samadhi. 

Doctor: — When the sun is up, the ice indeed melteth. And 
what is more, the water changeth into invisible vapor. This 
we know from science. Dost thou not think, Sir, this will 
carry the analogy a little higher? 

Master: — The meaning of the analogy is that reasoning as 
to the real and the unreal, we come to the conclusion that 
God the Absolute is Real and the phenomenal universe is 
unreal. The latter includeth all things that have name or 
form — material or spiritual. This is the conclusion of Ved- 
anta Philosophy. Reasoning on this line and realizing in the 
Samadhi which followeth, the Knowing One saith, 'God is not 
a Person' — for that would be limiting God. Nothing can be 
predicated of God the Absolute. The conditioned self is 
effaced in Samadhi. Thus there remaineth nobody to predi- 
cate about the Absolute. 

Hence Bhakti (the devotional feelings) is like the cooling 
light of the moon. Absolute Knowledge is like the sun with 
its burning rays. It is said that in the extreme north and in 
the extreme south there are seas where water changeth into 
masses of ice which stop the course of ships. 

Doctor: — Thou seest, Sir, man hath his progress stopped in 
the path of Devotion 1 unaided by Reasoning. 

Master: — His course, indeed, is stopped, — were you to 
carry the metaphor further on. But surely his progress is not 
stopped. The ice under different forms is the Lord Himself 
manifesting to the devotee under different forms. He real- 
izeth God and none else. The form that he seeth is the 
reading of God in Samadhi through the medium of Bhakti. If 
thou likest the path of Knowledge or Philosophy better, thou 
mayest reason, 'The Absolute is the only Reality and the 
world with names and forms is unreal.' And thou mayest 

1 Bhakti. 



232 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

realize this in Samadhi. The ice, under different forms, will 
then melt away under the powerful rays of the Sun of True 
Knowledge, leaving the Shoreless Unbounded Ocean for thee 
to realize! 



CHAPTER II. 

HOW TO CONTROL THE DESIRES AND PASSIONS 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Doctor): — The following are some of 
the persons who do not get a knowledge of God: — 

First, he who is proud of his learning; second, he who is 
proud of his wealth. Thou mayest say to such a person, 
'There is a holy man in a certain place, wilt thou come to see 
him?' But he is sure to make excuses and say that he cannot 
come. 

He thinketh he is too big a man to pay a visit to such a 
person. 

"Pride cometh of Ignorance." 

^C % ^J ^ >fs 

The question is how may Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger 
and other passions be controlled? Girindra Ghosh of Pathu- 
riaghatta (another district in Calcutta) said, 'It is not possible 
for one to entirely rid oneself of the passions. Hence let us 
give them a different direction. In the place of sensual pleas- 
ures let the object of our desire be God Himself. Let us enjoy 
the ecstasy of Divine Bliss. Let us be proud that we are the 
sons of God — the servants of the Most High. Let us be proud 
of having believed in the Name of the Lord and say, "I have 
taken His hallowed Name and I am already free from sin, free 
from bondage, and I care not for salvation. The things of this 
world are not, indeed, mine — money, honors, my family and 
the rest — but the Lord is mine and those that love the Lord."' 

Do I covet riches and titles? No, what I covet most and 
long for is the Vision Divine. 

In this way the six passions may be turned Godward. 

Doctor: — It is hard to control the passions. They are like 
restive horses. They must have their eyes covered by blinders. 
In some cases their eyes should be entirely shut out from the 
outside world to keep them (the horses) from stumbling or 
going astray. 



WITH THE 'DISCIPLES AND T>R. SARKAR 233 

Master: — Should one be blest with God-vision, one's pas- 
sions are unable to do evil. 

Perfect men like Narada, Prahlad, do not need any such 
blinders being drawn over their eyes. The child who holdeth 
the father by the hand and walketh in the field along the balk 
doth, indeed, run the risk of letting go his father's arm and 
falling into the ditch. It is quite otherwise with the child 
whose arm is held by the father. Verily he never falleth into 
the ditch. 

Doctor: — It is not right for the father to hold the child by 
the hand. That would stand in the way of self-help. 

Master: — Those that have seen God have rid themselves of 
the lower self. They act with their higher self, which is one 
with the Lord. They feel that it is not they who help them- 
selves but the Divine Mother. All their strength cometh from 
Him. Apart from the Divine Mother they are good as non- 
entities. The child feeleth strong only in the presence of its 
mother. 

Doctor: — Unless one covers their eyes the horses will not 
move a single step. Is it possible to realize God, unless one's 

passions are kept under control? 
Path of Divine Love Master : — Thou speakest of the Path 1 of 

the Path of Knowledge „ 1 1 rv • • LL V ^.L i.L 

and Discrimination Knowledge or Discrimination. Yes, that path, 
also, leadeth to God. The Knowing One 
saith, 'One must be first pure if one desireth to see God. 
One must first control one's passions. First Self-Discipline, 
then Knowledge of God.' 

There is another path leading to God — the Path 2 of Devo- 
tion. Once there is in the human soul the love of God, once 
the chanting of His holy Name filleth the devotee with joy, 
no effort is needed for the control of the passions. Such con- 
trol cometh of itself. 

Is a man troubled with grief in a mood to enter into a quar- 
rel or to join a feast or to give his mind to sensual pleasures? 

Doth the insect which appeareth in the rainy season seek 
darkness once it hath seen the light? 

Doctor (smiling): — Yes, it doth not; — it is rather ready to 
rush upon the flame, and die if need be. 

Master: — No, that is not so; the true worshipper of God 
meeteth not death like the insect. The Living Light to which 
the devotee is drawn doth not burn and cause death. It is 

1 Jnanayoga. 2 Bhaktiyoga. 



234 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

like the light coming from a gem, shining yet soft, cool and 
soothing. It burneth not but giveth Peace and Joy. 

The Path of Knowledge leadeth, indeed, to God, but it is 
very hard. It is easy enough to say with the Knowing One in 
*.„. , • , -, >„ so many words and to reason thus: — 'I am 

Dijonculty of the Path 1 i , j , j .11. 

of Knowledge not tne body or the mind or the determinative 

faculty 2 ; I am not subject to disease or grief 
or want of peace; I am above happiness and misery; I am 
not subject to the organs of sense; — my true Self is God 3 , of 
whom the only thing that can be predicated is Absolute Exis- 
tence, Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Bliss Everlasting.' 
It ts easy to say all this but hard to realize. 

The hand is torn and scratched by the thorns; it is bleed- 
ing; surely it lieth not in one's mouth to say, 'Why, my hand 
is not at all torn, nor doth it bleed, and nothing is the matter 
with me!' One must actually burn in the flame of Knowledge 
the thorn of Ignorance which leadeth away from God and 
causeth all the ills that flesh is heir to. 

Many think that Knowledge (of God) cannot be attained 
without the study of books. But higher than Reading is 
. Hearing; higher than Hearing is Seeing (or 

Dh>iLlw"fom Realization). Hearing from the lips of the 

preceptor maketh a greater impression than 
the mere reading of books. Seeing maketh the greatest im- 
pression. Better than reading about Benares is hearing about 
the place from the lips of one who hath visited it; better even 
than hearing is seeing Benares with one's own eyes. 

At a game of chess the onlookers can tell what is the cor- 
rect move better than the players. Men of the world think 
they are very clever; but they are attached to things of this 
world — money, honors, pleasures, etc. Being actually engaged 
in the play it is hard for them to hit upon the right move. 
Holy men who have given up the world are not attached to 
it. They are like the onlookers at a game of chess. They see 
things better than the men of the world. 

Doctor (to a disciple): — Had he (Sri Ramakrishna) only read 
books he could not have attained such wisdom. Faraday 
communed with Nature and could thus discover many scien- 
tific truths. Mere book-learning could not have placed such 
knowledge within his reach. A close observation of Nature 
helped him a great deal. Mathematical formulae only throw 

1 Jnanayoga. 2 Buddhi. 3 Sachchidananda. 



WITH THE DISCIPLES AND <DR. SARKAR 235 

the brain into confusion and stand very much in the way of 
original research. This gentleman here (i. e., the Master) is 
so wise because he is a child of Nature. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Doctor): — There was a time when I lay 
down on the ground at the foot of the Panchabati in my 
yearning for the Divine Mother. As I lay down I used to cry 
and pray to my Divine Mother for more Light, saying, 'O 
Mother, letters have I never known; do Thou grant that it 
may be given unto me to know and to realize that which is 
attained by those 1 that work unattached without looking for 
the fruits of their actions; also to know and to realize that 
which is attained by Yogis by means of concentration", and 
lastly, to know and to realize what the Knowing Ones know 
by means of discrimination.' 

Books have I never read. It is my Divine Mother Who 
hath revealed unto me these things and many more things! 

Ah me! What a state of ecstasy it was! In such a state 
sleep leaveth one. 

And the Master sang forth: — 

SONG 

1. My sleep hath been broken. I am not going to sleep any more. 
Any way I am now awake. 

I have given back sleep unto Thee, O Mother. 
And sleep have I lulled to sleep forever. 

2. An excellent theme have I got to think upon. 
From the Land where there is no night 

Hath come unto me a Citizen with that theme. 

Worship 4 at stated hours by day or by night hath for ever become 
barren unto me. 



I have never read the books. But see how people make 
much of me! That is because I chant the holy Name of my 
Divine Mother. 

Sambhu Mallik used to speak of me, saying, 'Here is Santi- 
ram Singh quite able to beat anybody although sword or 
shield he hath none.' (Laughter.) 

The conversation next turned on the performance of a play 
by Girish (Ghosh) called the Life of Buddha. The Doctor 
had been invited by the author. He had been very much 
pleased with the performance. 

1 Karmis. 2 Yogis. 3 Jnanis. 4 Sandhya. 



236 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Doctor (to Girish): — It is most wicked of you to draw me to 
the theatre every day. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.): — 1 can't make out what he saith. 

M. (smiling): — The Doctor satih that the play hath proved 
to be a great attraction for him. 

CHAPTER III. 

Sri Ramal^rishna (to Ishan): — He (the Doctor) believeth not 
in Divine Incarnation. What hast thou got to say to him on 

this matter? 
Doth God Incarnate I snan: —Sir, what shall I say? To question 

Himself as a Human , , • 1 t i 

Beins? ana - reason on such matters is what 1 do not 

like. 
Sri Ramakrishna (sharply): — Why, wilt not thou say the right 
thing, if necessary? 

Ishan (to Doctor): — It is our pride which causeth the want 
of faith. Ramachandra was a human being only in appear- 
ance. In reality He was the Supreme Being. Out of His body 
hath come forth the Infinite Universe, with the boundless 
Firmament, the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, the deep, blue 
Ocean and the snow-capped Mountains! 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Doctor): — This much is hard to under- 
stand. How can the human being (the Divine Incarnation) 
who appeareth to view with all his limitations be the same 
as the Infinite, Eternal, Supreme Being. One who hath realized 
God knoweth that God the Absolute appeareth to us as the 
phenomenal Universe — as Man and Nature. He appeareth as 
Man with his limitations; but really He hath no limitations. 
For instance, it cannot be said of Him that because he hath 
taken a human shape He is not outside of that shape. He 
may be here and at the same moment He may be elsewhere. 
One who hath seen God seeth all this, and believeth. The 
ordinary man with his ounce of reason cannot see this. Can 
a water-pot with a capacity to hold only one seer of milk ever 
hold four seers? 

Hence in these matters one must put faith in the words of 
those who have seen God. Such men only meditate upon 
God. If thou seekest legal advice, wilt not thou consult 
lawyers that are in the profession? Surely thou shalt not take 
the advice of the man in the street? 



WITH THE "DISCIPLES AND T>R. SARKAR 237 

Ishan (to Doctor): — May I ask why thou thinkest that God 
doth not incarnate Himself as a human being? It was only a 
moment ago thou didst admit that God may 
Criterion of Truth: be with Form as well as without Form, and 
frtcTent^fReliiZ? Sa ? ^ notnin S is impossible with God. 
p\ y Z n aTs°cienceoT ? Sri Ramakrishna (smiling): — My dear Sir, the 
Transcendental fact is such a thing is not declared in his 

Perception? books on science. It is not set forth there in 

so many words that God may come down 
into this world as a human being for the salvation of man- 
kind. That being so, how can he believe? {Laughter.) 

Let me tell you an amusing story. A friend called upon a 
person and reported to him saying, 'Hav'n't you heard the 
latest news? Well, I was yesterday passing along the street 
when down came with a terrible crash the house belonging to 
the Mukherji's.' The person to whom this was told cried out, 
'Is that so? But let me consult the newspaper and see if this 
is true.' He read the newspaper, but there was nothing about 
the coming down of the house. Upon this, he cooly said to 
his friend, 'I can't put faith in your words. It is not so stated 
here/ His friend replied, 'But I saw it with my own eyes!' 
The man still would not believe, and said, 'Well, there is 
nothing said in the newspaper about it; how can I believe 
it?' {Laughter.) 

People do not see that science dealeth only with condi- 
tioned knowledge. It bringeth no message from the Land of 
the Unconditioned. Such message hath been brought by holy 
men who have seen and realized God, like the Rishis of 
old. It is they alone that are competent to say, 'God is thus 
and thus.' 

The Doctor is speechless and maketh no remark. 

Girish (to Doctor): — Thou must confess that Sri Krishna was 
God Incarnate. I will not let thee regard Him as a man. 
Thou must say that He was either God or a Demon. 

Sri Ramal\rishna: — Verily one must be free from guile like 

the child in order to have such faith in God. The Lord is far 

away from the duplicity of the world. World- 

Childlike Simolicitu |> /i r 1 _ 1 „1 

j ts- .,l • rj hness (love or money, honor, sensual pleas- 

ant rattn in Uoa \ l • 11 l • • 

ures), bring on doubt and scepticism; — and 
the pride of learning, the pride of wealth and the rest. 

(To the disciples): — He (the Doctor) is, however, free from 
guile. 



238 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Girish (to Doctor): — Dost thou not think, Sir, that it is not 
given to man of double part to attain knowledge? 

Doctor: — Certainly; that is indeed impossible. 

Sri Ramafyrishna: — How childlike was Keshab (Sen)! Well, 
once he went into the Temple. At about four in the after- 
noon, he was going round to see the guest-house attached to 
the Temple; he asked if the guests including holy men and 
poor men, were soon going to be fed. Like a child he had 
no idea that it was late in the day and that the guests for that 
day had already had their dinner at noon. Knowledge relat- 
ing to God keepeth pace with faith. Where there is little faith 
it is idle to look for much knowledge. The cow which cometh 
to be over-nice in matters of eating is not liberal in its supply 
of milk. But the cow to whom all kinds of food are welcome 
— herbs and leaves and grass — husks and straw — and eats 
them up with great appetite, giveth an abundant supply. Her 
milk cometh down from the udder into the pail in torrents. 
(Laughter.) 

Faith like that of the child is the one thing needful. Such 
faith leadeth one to God. Mamma hath said pointing to a 
stranger lad, 'He is thy dada (brother).' At once the child 
hath believed and the lad is to him sixteen-anna-dWa — one's 
mother's son in the strict sense of the word! — Again mamma 
hath said, 'There is a hobgoblin in that room.' The child is 
absolutely sure that there is such a terrible being in that room. 

He that believeth like the child receiveth the grace of God. 
The calculating intellect of the world weigheth things with an 
eye to worldly loss and gain. Man's limited reasoning seeth 
not far enough. It hath no right of entry into the land of the 
gods. It is faith — the faith of a child — which leadeth you 
forth into that land. 

Doctor (to the disciples): — It is, however, not right for the 
cow to eat up all sorts of things. I once had a cow which 
went in for all sorts of food. I was taken very ill. I was at a 
loss to account for my illness. At last I came to know that the 
root of all this evil was the cow, which had been eating the 
refuse of corn and such-like things for some days. (Laughter.) 
The result was that I had to go up to Lucknow for a change. 
I got well, but at the cost of Rs. 1 2,000 (roars of laughter). 

Well, it is not so easy to see the relation between cause and 
effect. In the family of the Pikepara Babus a child seven 
months old was taken ill with whooping-cough and I was 



WITH THE <DISC1PLES AND T)R. SARKAR 239 

called in for treatment. I tried my utmost to trace the disease 
to its cause, but in vain. At last it came to my knowledge 
that the ass which supplied the milk for the child had got 
drenched in the rains! 

Sri Ramakrishna (to disciples, laughing): — Behold the man! 
Isn't it as if somebody saith, 'My coach hath been to the foot 
of the tamarind, a tree which beareth sour fruits, and I have 
thus got acidity.' {The Doctor and others all laugh.) 

Doctor (laughing): — The captain of a ship had a bad head- 
ache. The doctors on board held a consultation and had a 
blister applied to the side of the ship! {Laughter.) 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Doctor): — The company of holy men is 

always needed for one who seeketh God. A man of the 

world is always subject to a chronic disease. 

The Company of Holy Holy men should be consulted as to the rem- 

n" ?>t p; Gi ° ing edy. Merely hearing them as they teach is not 

Up of the Pleasures J . < , & , T-i v 

of the World for the quite enough ror ones purposes. 1 he medi- 
SakeofGod cine must be taken into the system and strict 

rules should be observed in matters of diet. 
Doctor: — Yes, it is the diet which, more than anything else, 
causeth the patient to be healed. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Doctors are either first class, second class, 
or third class. Holy teachers are like doctors, divided into 
three classes. 

The third class doctor feeleth the pulse and saith, 'Thou 
must take the medicine.' He then goeth away, not caring 
whether the patient taketh his advice or not. 

The second class doctor reasoneth with the patient and 
useth soft words to induce him to take the medicine. 

The first class doctor is ready, in case the patient heareth 
not his words, to put his knee on the chest of the patient and 
force the medicine down his gullet! {Laughter.) 

Doctor (laughing): — Under certain kind of treatment the 
doctor need not use force and put his knee across the chest 
of the patient. For instance, homoeopathy. {Laughter.) 

Sri Ramal\rishna (smiling): — That is true; but the patient 
need not be afraid even if such a doctor useth force and put- 

teth his knee across his breast. 
Aa n ° .■ ' r sc 'f' ne Renunciation of 'Lust and Gold' hath been 

of Monastic Life . . _ . . . 1 1 l 1 

laid down only tor those that lead a monastic 
life. Monks must not so much as look at the pictures of 

1 Sannyasin. 



240 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

women. Even the thought of spiced pickles causeth the mouth 
to water — not to speak of the sight or the touch of those 
dainties! 

But this hard rule is not meant for men of the world like 
thee; — it is indeed purely for monks. For thy part thou 
mayst go amongst women with a mind unattached and fixed 
upon God. That thy mind may be thus unattached and fixed 
upon God it is meet that thou shouldst often retire into soli- 
tude — such a place which is away from either men or women 
— a place where thou mayst be left absolutely to thyself, pray- 
ing to the Lord with a yearning heart for True Knowledge — 
a place where thou mayst abide for at least three days, if not 
more, or for at least one day if not for three. 

Thy plan again as a married man is to live with thy wife as 
brother and sister after one or two children are born to thee, 
and then pray to the Lord without ceasing that both husband 
and wife may have strength to live a life of spirituality. 

Girish (smiling to Doctor):- — My dear Sir, thou hast been 
staying on here for three or four hours! I wonder when thou 
art going to see thy patients. {Laughter.) If thou goest on in 
this way thou mayst ruin thy practice. 

Doctor: — Talk not of practice or of patient! Your Para- 
mahamsa will make me lose my all! (Laughter.) 

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling to Doctor): — Behold there is a river 
called Karmanasha — which meaneth that which putteth an end 
to all work. If thou takest a plunge into that river thou shalt 
run a great risk. After the bath thou shalt lose all power of 
doing any work whatsoever. (The Doctor and others all laugh.) 

Doctor (to M., Girish and other Disciples): — My friends, do 
regard me as your own; not as a professional man, whom 
you wanted for his advice, but as your own flesh and blood. 
Sri Ramakrishna (to Doctor): — Let me tell thee 
of God 6 ° * one thing- It i s possible to have a love for 

God which is pure and selfless. Blessed is he 
who hath such love for the Lord! Prahlad had such a love. 
A devotee of this class saith, 'O Lord, I pray not for wealth or 
fame, pleasures of the flesh or for any other blessings that the 
world can give. Do Thou grant that I may love Thee with a 
love which seeketh not the things of the world, but Thee alone.' 

1 Ahetuki. 



WITH THE "DISCIPLES AND T>R. SARKAR 241 

Doctor: — Yes, Sir, I often see people bowing down before 
the image of Kali. These worshippers all seek some worldly 
object; — some pray for a means of living; some for the 
healing of some disease, and so forth. 



Doctor (to Sri Ramakrishna): — It is not right for thee, ill as 
thou art, to hold converse with anybody. Of course, thou 
must make an exception in my favor. (Laughter.} 

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling): — Wilt thou be good enough to 
see that I am healed? Thou seest how I cannot repeat and 
glorify the Name of the Lord! 

Doctor (smiling): — What is the need for repeating His 
Name? Meditation 1 is quite enough for our purposes. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — What dost thou say? Thou wantest me 
to be narrow and one-sided? I eat my fish dressed in five 
different dishes — fish in curry, fish fried, fish with tamarind, 
cutlet, pillau, and so forth. I long to worship the Lord in as 
many ways as I can, and still my heart's desire is not fulfilled! 
I long to worship Him with flowers and fruits and other offer- 
ings; to repeat His sacred Name by myself ; to meditate upon 
Him; to chant His hymns; to dance in the Joy of the Lord! 

Doctor: — Well, Sir, I too do not like to be narrow and one- 
sided. 

Master: — Amrita, thy son, doth not believe in Divine Incar- 
nation. Well, it mattereth not. Those that believe that God 
is without form will see Him, — as well as 
hit Absolutely those who k e i ieve mat He is with form. The 

Necessary to Belizve in , . ■, ■, i— • 1 l c 1 C 

Divine incarnation? two things needed are Faith and belt-sur- 
render. Man is liable to error at every step. 
In any case he cannot hope to be absolutely free from error. 
Dost thou want to put four seers of milk into a water-pot 
which can hold only one seer? 

But thou must cry unto the Lord with a longing, yearning 
heart, — whether thou believest that God is with form or 
without form. The Lord is the Ruler of the soul within, and 
shall grant thy prayer if thy cry goeth forth unto Him out of 
the inmost recesses of thy heart. 

Yes, and whether thou believest that the Lord is with form 
or without form. The cake made with candy will taste 

1 Dhyana. 



242 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

equally sweet whether it be straight or oblique when taken 
up into the mouth. {Laughter.) 

Amrita, thy son, is a nice lad. 

Doctor: — Oh he is a disciple of yours! 

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling): — There is not a fellow under the 
sun who is my disciple. On the contrary, I am everybody 
else's disciple. All men are sons of God, — servants of the 
Lord. I too am a son of God and His servant. Uncle Moon 
is everybody's Uncle! {Laughter.) 

(The Master here referreth to one of the popular folk-tales 
current in Bengal, which speaketh of the moon as the mater- 
nal uncle of everybody.) 



SECTION XIII. 

October 1885 

THE MASTER AT SHYAMPUKUR, CALCUTTA, 
WITH HIS DISCIPLES 

Sri Ramakrishna with Narendra {Vivekananda), Sarat (Saradananda), Kali 

(Abhedananda), Rafchal (Brahmananda), M. , and other 

Disciples at Shyampukur, Calcutta 

CHAPTER I. 

It was about half past five in the afternoon on Tuesday, 
27th of October, 1885. The great national Durgapuja festival 
had been celebrated only a few days back. It was so difficult 
for the disciples to join the festivities with their whole heart. 
How could they rejoice when the Master was suffering from 
a serious malady? The Temple of Kali at Dakshineshwara, 
where he ordinarily resided, was not within easy reach of 
Calcutta physicians. So the Master had been staying for the 
last three months at Shyampukur and was now under the treat- 
ment of Dr. Sarcar. The hint thrown out by the Doctor that 
the disease was past all human remedies, proved a heavy 
blow to the poor disciples. It was so hard to believe that the 
Blessed One was soon to leave them like orphans thrown 
adrift upon the wide world, scattered abroad like sheep having 
no shepherd. It was so distressing to think that the days of 
rejoicing, coming one after another, which they had passed 
with him had been numbered. They shed tears in solitude. 
Hoping against hope they yet prayed for his recovery. They 
served him body, mind and soul, nursed him, attended to his 
smallest wants day and night. To the younger disciples, 
headed by Narendra (Vivekananda), this great unique service 
of the Master led the way to the great renunciation of the 
world of which they are the most glorious examples in the 
present day. For, was not Sri Ramakrishna their living Ideal, 
a unique example before their very eyes — who had given up 
the world and its so-called pleasures for the sake of God? 

Strange, that in spite of the serious illness, people poured 
in to see, if only to catch a glimpse of, the god-man of whom 
they had so much heard. They felt that verily it was peace and 



244 QOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

joy to come into the presence of Sri Ramakrishna. 'Oh how 
kind, how loving!' was the universal observation. Anxious 
for the welfare of the meanest among them, he would talk to 
them of God — of his heavenly Mother — in the midst of 
intense physical sufferings! At last the physicians left a strict 
injunction with the disciples not to allow people to see him 
and engage him in conversation. Dr. Sarcar, who would stay 
with the Master for hours together (sometimes six hours, seven 
hours) would say to him, 'Take heed how you talk to any- 
body; the only person you may talk with for a length of time 
is myself, — in whose favor you may thus make an exception.' 
The fact was that the Doctor had been charmed with his 
company as well as with words 'sweet as honey' that pro- 
ceeded out of his mouth. 

Besides Vivekananda and the Doctor there were present 
on this particular occasion, Girish Ghosh, the great Bengali 
dramatist and poet; Doctor Docouri, Narendra junior, Rakhal, 
M., Sarat, and many others. 

The Doctor felt the pulse and prescribed the necessary 
remedies. There was then, for a while, a talk with reference 
to the course of the disease; after which the Master took the 
first dose as directed. 

Dr. Sarcar rising to depart said to Sri Ramakrishna, who 
was talking to Shyam Basu, 'Nov/ that thou hast got Shyam 
Basu to talk to, wilt thou allow me to bid thee good-bye?! 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Wouldst thou like to hear some songs? 

Doctor: — I should like very much;— but thy feelings would 
be terribly worked up, and thou wilt shoot up into all sorts of 
antics. One's feelings must be kept under control. 

The Doctor took his seat once more. Narendra (Viveka- 
nanda) poured out his charming melodies to the accompani- 
ment of the tanpura and the mridanga (musical instruments). 

He sang: — 

SONG 
God and His Works 

1. Wonderful, infinite, is the Universe made by Thee! Behold, it 
is the repository of all Beauty. 

2. Thousands of stars do shine — a necklace of gold studded -with 
gems! Innumerable are the Moons and the Suns! 

3. The earth is adorned with wealth and corn; full indeed is your 
Storehouse. O Great Lord, innumerable are the stars which sing 
' Well done, Lord ! ' ' Well done ! ' They sing without ceasing. 



WITH "DISCIPLES A T SHYAMPUKUR 245 

He sang again — 

SONG 
The Mother of the Universe 

1 . In the midst of the dense Darkness, O Mother ! breaketh forth 
a flood of Light, Thy wealth of formless Beauty. To this end is the 
Yogi's meditation within the mountain cave. 

2. In the lap of Darkness Infinite and borne on the sea of great 
Nirvana, the fragrance of Peace Everlasting floweth without cessation. 

3. O Mother 1 ! Who art Thou, seated alone within the Temple of 
Samadhi, assuming the form of the Great Consort of the Lord of 
Eternity and wearing the apparel of Darkness ? The Lotus of Thy 
feet keep us from fear ! In them doth flash the lightning of Thy 
Love for Thy children. In Thy face made of spirit doth shine Thy 
loud, loud laugh. 

Doctor (to M.): — It is dangerous to him — this singing! It 
will work upon his feeling with serious results! 

Sri Ramakrishna (to M.): — What saith the Doctor? 

M.: — Sir, the Doctor is afraid lest this singing work upon 
thy feelings and bring on Samadhi. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to the Doctor, with folded hands): — No, Oh 
no; why should my feelings be worked up? I am very well! 

But as soon as these words were uttered the Master, who 
was already losing sense-consciousness, went right into deep 
Samadhi. His corporeal frame became motionless! The eyes 
moved not! He sat speechless like a veritable figure of wood 
or stone! All sense-consciousness had ceased to be! The 
mind, the principle of personal identity, the heart, had all 
stepped out of their wonted course towards that One Object, 
the Mother of the Universe! 

Again did Narendra pour out of his sweet charming throat, 
melody after melody. 

He sang: — 

SONG 

The Lord, My Husband 

1. What a charming Beauty is here! What a charming Face! The 
Lord of my soul hath come to my (humble) abode! 

2. Behold! the spring of my love is running over (with joy)! 

3. O Lord of my soul! Thou Who art made of love alone, is there 
any riches that I can offer Thee ? O, accept my heart, my life, my 
all, yes, Lord ! my all deign to accept ! 

And yet again: — 

1 Kali. 



246 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

SONG 
Nothing Good or Beautiful Without the Lord 

1. Gracious Lord, what comfort can there be in life, if the Bee of 
the Soul is not lost in the Lotus of Thy Feet for evermore ! 

2. What is the use of countless heaps of wealth if at the same 
time Thou the most Precious of all Gems art not kept with care! 

3. The tender face of the child I do not wish to look at, if on that 
face, beautiful like the moon as it is, I cannot see (the image of) Thy 
Loving Face. 

4. What a thing is moonlight ! It would indeed appear to be made 
of darkness absolute, if when the outward moon appears in the 
heavens the Moon of Thy Love riseth not also (in the firmament of 
the soul) at the same time. 

5. Even the holy attachment of the chaste wife would be full of 
impurities, if the gold of her (human) love is not set with the (price- 
less) gem of Thy Love Divine. 

6. Lord, scepticism about Thee, the offspring of infatuation, is like 
the never-ceasing bite of the poisonous snake. 

7. Lord, what more shall I say to Thee! Thou art the (priceless) 
Jewel of my heart, the Abode of Joy Everlasting ! 

Listening to the song — specially to the portion referring to 
the chaste wife and the child, the Doctor cried out, 'Ah me! 
Ah me!!' 

Narendra sang again: — 

SONG 

The Ecstatic Love of God 

1 . O ! how long shall I have to wait for the appearance of that 
madness of love for God, when having nothing else in the world to 
wish for, I shall chant the name of Hari (God) and there shall flow 
from my eyes a stream of love -tears ! 

2. When shall my life, my mind, be made pure ? O when shall I go 
forth on pilgrimage to the Brindaban of love ! When shall the dark- 
ness of my eyes be driven away by the collyrium of Knowledge Divine. 

3. When shall the iron of my body be turned into gold at the 
touch of the Divine Touch-stone ! O when shall I see the vision of a 
world made up of God alone ! 

4. When shall my desire for doing good works be a thing of the 
past ? When shall my sense of caste and family distinction be gone ? 
O, when shall I be placed beyond fear, anxiety, and the feeling of 
shame ? When shall I be free from pride (and slavish obedience to 
custom) ? 

5. With the dust of the feet of Bhaktas (true lovers of God) rubbed 
all over my body, with the scrip of renunciation placed over my 
shoulders, O when shall I drink the water of ecstatic Love 1 with the 
palm of both my hands from the River 2 of Divine Love ? 

■ 1 Prema. 2 Prema Jamuna. 



WITH "DISCIPLES A T SHYAMPUKUR 247 

CHAPTER II. 
THE ABSOLUTE 

In the midst of the songs Sri Ramakrishna hath come to 
himself again. The music came to a close. Then followed 
that conversation which was charming alike to the learned 
and the illiterate, to the old and the young, to men and to 
women, to great men and to litde men! The whole company- 
sat mute and looked in silence on his divine face. 

Is there any trace now of that serious illness from which he 
is suffering? Joy is there on the face radiant with celestial 
glory ! 

Turning to the Doctor Sri Ramakrishna began the con- 
versation: 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Do give up shyness, Doctor. One should 
not be shy in taking before others the Name of the Lord, or 
in dancing with joy while chanting His sweet Name. Do not 
care what people will say. The following proverb is very 
edifying — 

"Shyness, contempt and fear — 

These three remaining one cannot be perfect." 

The shy man saith, 'I am such a big man!' If this findeth 
its way into big people's ears what would they say? O! what 
a shame if they say, 'Doctor, the poor fellow hath been danc- 
ing. He must have lost his head!' 

Doctor: — That is not my line at all. I don't care what 
people may say. 

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling): — On the contrary, thou dost care 
for it very much. {Laughter.) 

Get to the other side of both Knowledge" and 
2 e A ToiutT n ° f Ignorance 3 . Ignorance is the knowledge of 
many things — the knowledge of diversity 
without the knowledge of Unity, without the knowledge of 
the One God. The egotism due to erudition proceedeth from 
Ignorance. The conviction that God is in all objects — that 
there is Unity in variety — is called Knowledge of Oneness. 
Knowing Him intimately is Realization 4 . 

Suppose your foot is pricked with a thorn. Well, you want 
a second thorn to take it out. When the first thorn is taken 
out you throw away both. So, in order to get rid of the thorn 

1 Brahman. 2 Jnana (Knowledge of Oneness). 3 Ajnana (ignorance as to God, or 
knowledge of many things). 4 Vijnana. 



248 GOSPEL OF SRI ftAMAKRISHNA 

of Ignorance, you bring in the thorn of Knowledge, Then 
you throw away both Ignorance and Knowledge with a view 
to the complete Realization of the Absolute. For the Absolute 
is beyond Knowledge as well as Ignorance. 

Lakshmana once said to his Divine Brother, 'O, Rama, is it 
not strange that a God-knowing man 1 like Vashishtha Deva 2 
should have wept for the loss of his sons, and would not be 
comforted?' 

Thereupon Rama replied, 'My good brother! bear in mind 
that whoever possesseth relative Knowledge of Unity (God) 
must at the same time have relative Ignorance also.' He is 
not in the nature of things free from Ignorance as to God, for 
Knowledge and Ignorance in this case are as correlatives. For 
a knowledge of Unity in the universe presupposeth a concur- 
rent knowledge of diversity. One who feeleth the existence 
of light hath also a feeling as to the existence of darkness. 

The Absolute is above Knowledge and Ignorance, beyond 
sin and merit, — good works and bad works, — -cleanliness and 
uncleanliness — as understood by the limited faculties of man. 

With this Sri Ramakrishna repeated the following song of 
Ramaprasad : — 

SONG 

The Science of God-vision 

1 . Come, Oh my mind ! let us go out for a walk ; Oh, thou shalt 
pick up four fruits at the foot of that Kalpa tree, my Mother 3 the 
Consort of Eternity. 

2. Thou hast two wives, Attachment (which leadeth thee to the 
things of the world) and Non-attachment (which leadeth thee God- 
ward, away from the things of the world). Now, when thou dost go 
out for a walk, take Non-attachment along with thee as thy companion. 

Non-attachment hath a son called discrimination 4 (of the Real from 
the unreal). Thou must ask this young man any question relating to 
God, the Absolute. 

3. The off-spring of Attachment, the first wife, thou must try to 
bring to reason, taking care always to be at a safe distance from them. 

If they refuse to listen to reason, thou shouldst, Oh, my mind, cause 
them to be drowned in the Sea of Knowledge. 

4. When shalt thou sleep in the chamber of heaven with cleanli- 
ness 5 and uncleanliness 6 both by the side ! 

For, as soon as these co-wives are made friends, thou wilt see my 
Mother of the dark-blue color (the Mother of the Universe) ! 

5. Keep good works 7 and bad works 8 , the two goats, fastened care- 
lessly to a post. 

1 Jnani. 2 Rama's preceptor and a holy sage. 3 Kali. 4 Viveka. Thus Vivekananda 
lit. means the Bliss of Discrimination. 5 Shuchi. 6 Ashuchi. 7 Dharma. 8 Adharma. 



WITH <DISCIPLES A T SHYAMPUKUR 249 

Then sacrifice them with the Sword of the Highest Knowledge 1 , 
thus giving liberation to them both. 

6. Thy father, Oh, my mind! is Egotism and thy mother is Igno- 
rance ; both of whom thou must send away. 

If ever thou feelest drawn towards the pit of Infatuation 2 , then hold 
on to the prop of Patience. 

7. Prasad saith, " Oh, my mind ! in this way wilt thou be able to 
render account to the Destroyer (the Lord of Eternity)." 

In this way wilt thou be entitled to be called 'my darling,' 'my 
pet ; ' ' the god of my father,' and a ' mind after my mind.' 

Shy am Basu: — Sir, may I ask what remaineth after thou hast 
thrown away both the thorns as thou callest them — Knowl- 
edge and Ignorance? 
God the Absolute is Sri R ama ^ ris h na : —^/ e \\ f what remaineth, as 

Above ana tieyond , * . , aii 111*1 

Speech and Mind thou sayest, is the Absolute — called in the 

Vedas 3 , the Unchangeable, the Absolutely 
Pure, the Absolute Knowledge. But how shall I make it clear 
to thee? Suppose somebody asketh thee what is the taste of 
clarified butter 4 . Is it possible to make the matter perfectly 
clear to him? The utmost that one may say in reply to such 
a question is, the taste of butter is precisely like the taste of 
butter! (Laughter.) 

A girl who was unmarried once said to a friend, 'Thy hus- 
band is come, do tell me what sort of joy thou feelest when- 
ever thou meetest him?' Thereupon the married girl said, 
'My dear, thou wilt know everything when thou hast got a 
hushand of thy own; how can I make it clear to thee now?' 

In the Puranas we are told that the Mother of the Universe 
incarnated Herself as the daughter of the presiding god of the 
Himalayas. Just after She was born the King of Mountains 
was blessed with the vision of the various manifestations of 
the Omnipotent Mother. Then, said he, 'Oh, Mother! let me 
see God the Absolute, about Whom there is so much in the 
Vedas.' The Child Incarnate thereupon said, 'Father, dost 
thou wish to see God the Absolute? Well, in that case thou 
must live in the company of holy men — men who have given 
up the world. Then only can I fulfil the desire of thy heart. 
What It is, cannot.be told in words.' 

A person hath well said, 'All things, with the sole excep- 
tion of God the Absolute, have become defiled like leavings 
of food.' The idea is, that Sacred Scriptures of the world, 
having been read and recited with the aid of the tongue, have 

1 Jnana. 2 Moha. 3 Nityasuddha-bodha-rupam. 4 Ghee. 



250 GOSPEL OF SRI "RAMAKRISHNA 

got defiled like the food thrown out of the mouth. But there 
hath been as yet in this world no created being who hath 
been able to express by word of mouth the nature of the 
Absolute. Thus the Absolute is not defiled 1 by mouth, so to 
speak. 

There is joy unspeakable in the company of the Lord. 
Word proceeding out of the mouth cannot tell of it. He alone 
knoweth who hath felt it. 

CHAPTER III. 

BOOK-LEARNING AND EGOTISM 

Addressing the Doctor, Sri Ramakrishna went on saying, 
"Unless one getteth rid of egotism, one cannot look for the 
wisdom of life. 

"Then shall I be free 
When ' I ' shall cease to be." 

T and 'mine' make up Ignorance. 'Thou' and 'Thine' 
make up Knowledge. The true devotee saith, 'Lord, Thou 
art the only active Agent. I am only a passive instrument in 
Thy hands! I act as I am made to act by Thee. Thine are all 
these riches, the house, the family, everything! Nothing is 
mine. I am only a servant. Mine is only to serve according 
to Thy bidding.' 

Strange that conceit must have a hold on those who have 
anything to do with books. Tagore had a talk with me on 
God. He said to me, 'Sir, I am quite aware of all that thou 
sayest. I have read them in the books.' Well, thereupon I 
said to him, 'My dear Sir, a person who hath visited Delhi, 
doth not make much of his travels and say, "I have been to 
Delhi," and brag of it. A Babu (a well-to-do and highly res- 
pectable gentleman) doth not himself say, "I am a Babu."' 
{Laughter. ) 

Shy am Basu: — Sir, Mr. Tagore has a great respect for Thee. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — My dear Sir, how shall I describe the 
vanity of a woman of the sweeper caste who was serving at 
the Temple at Dakshineshwara? She had a jewel or two on 
her person. This, I suppose, had filled her with vanity; so 
she once cried out at the sight of the persons crossing her 
way, 'I say, get out of the way, you people!' (Laughter.) 

i Uchhishta. 



WITH "DISCIPLES A T SHYAMPUKUR 25 1 

Such was the sweeper woman. It is needless to speak of 
the vanity and the conceit of other and bigger people! 

Shy am Basu: — Sir, on the one hand, we are told that man is 

punished for his sins; and on the other hand that God is the 

, Actor, created beings being humble instru- 

ResllnsibditJ ments in His hands. How shall I make these 

two things agree? 
Sri Ramakrishna: — To see how thou talkest like 'a gold mer- 
chant 1 ' — who weigheth things with his delicate balance! 

Vivekananda: — What the Master meaneth to say is that thou 
art talking like one who hath a calculating turn of mind. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — I say, Podo! eat these mangoes! What is 
the use of thy counting how many hundreds of mangoe trees 
there are in the garden, how many thousands of branches, 
how many tens of millions of leaves, and so on? Thou art 
here to eat the mangoes! Do eat them and go thy way. 

To Shyam Basu: Thou hast come into this world as a human 
being, with a view to attain God by means of religious works. 
Thy duty is to try thy best to acquire love 2 for the Lotus of 
the Feet of the Lord. Why trouble thyself about this and that 
and a hundred other matters? Would philosophical discus- 
sions make thee wiser than before? Dost thou not see that 
four ounces of wine are quite capable of making thee intoxi- 
cated? That being so, there is no use thy calculating how 
many barrels of liquor there are in the saloon, drinking to 
intoxication being thy only object! 

Doctor: — Quite so, Sir. What is more, the liquor in God's 
wine-shop is beyond all measure! It can never be used up. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Shyam Basu): — Furthermore, why dost 
thou not execute a power of attorney in favor of the Lord? 
Let all thy cares and responsibilities rest on Him. A person 
of high character, suppose, is entrusted by thee with certain 
duties. Surely, such a person is not capable of doing thee 
wrong. The question whether a sinner will be punished 
hereafter or not may well be left to Him. 

Doctor: — It is He alone Who knoweth what He is going to 
do. Human calculation cannot go far enough. The Lord is 
above and beyond all human calculation. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Shyam Basu): — How very fashionable 
this sort of talk hath grown amongst you, Calcutta people! 
They speak of the absence of the principle of equality in 

1 Suvarna-varnika. 2 Bhakti. 



252 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

God's dealings with man! Why should God, they complain, 
make some people happy and others unhappy! These fools 
only see God's nature to be the same as their own. 

Hem used to come to the Temple at Dakshineshwara in 

company with his friends, the Janbazaar Baboos. Whenever 

he had occasion to meet me he used to say, 

#L?3«//!/.") an 'Well, Mr. Bhattacharya, there is only one 

the b,nd of Life ? . . J \ i i . 1 

thing worth having in this world, Viz., honor. 

Is it not so?' Very feu) see that the end of human life is to see God. 

Shyam Basu: — Sir, we hear a good deal of the 'astral' body 

that we possess, the subtle body 1 as known from the gross 2 

body. Can any person show that my double 
Fine Body ° r ( tne SUDt l e body) actually leaveth the gross 

body with a view to go elsewhere. 
Sri Ramakrishna : — A true devotee would not care to show thee 
all this. He careth not the least whether some fool will regard 
him with respect or not. The having some big people about 
him is the last thing that he wishes for. 

Shyam Basu: — Wilt thou please say, Sir, how dost thou 
know the subtle body from the gross body? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — The five elements make up the gross 
body. The subtle body is made up of the manas (the Ruler of 

the senses), the buddhi (the determinative fac- 
The Gross Body, the ulty), aham\ara (the egoism or the sense of I) 

S <!?Lfcly y anTt* 0dU and the chitta ( the feelings). The inner body 
Great Came" or the which feeleth the Joy of the Lord is called 

Unconditioned the ' Body of Ecstasy' or the Karana sharira. 

The Tantras call it Bhagavatitanu or the body 
derived from the Mother of the Universe. Beyond all these 
is the Mahakarana, the Great First Cause — the Unconditioned 
— which cannot be expressed by words! 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICE 

Sri Ramakrishna: — What is the use of merely listening to 
lectures? The great thing is practice 3 . 

Thou sayest the words siddhi, siddhi (hemp leaves) repeatedly. 
Will that make thee drunk? No; thou must swallow a little of it. 

There are threads of various numbers, No. 40, No. 41, and 
so on. Well, thou dost not know one number from another 

1 Sukshma sharira. 2 Sthula. 3 Sadhan. 



WITH T>ISCIPLES A T SHYAMPUKUR 253 

unless thou art in the trade. It is by no means hard for those in 
the trade to know a thread of a particular number from that of 
another number. That being so, I say, do practise a little. That 
done, it would be easy for thee to have correct ideas as to the 
gross body, the subtle body, the Karana (the body made of 
Joy) the Mahakarana (the Great Cause as the Unconditioned). 
When you pray, ask for Bhakti, devotion to His Lotus Feet. 
After Ahalya* was made free from the curse called down 
upon her by her husband, Ramachandra said: 

oZ° Thing Netdful- ! D ° ask f ° r a b °° n fr ° m me/ Ahal y a Said ' 

How to Pray 'Oh Rama! If Thou wilt give me a boon, do 

Thou grant that my mind may ever be on 
Thy Feet, which are beautiful like the Lotus. O, I may be 
born amongst swine, but that will not matter!' 

For my part I pray for love 1 alone to my Divine Mother. 

Putting flowers upon Her Lotus Feet, with folded hands, I 
prayed saying, 'Mother, here is ignorance, here is knowledge, 
Oh! take them; I want them not; grant that I may have pure 
Love alone. Here is cleanliness of the mind and the body; 
here is uncleanliness; what shall I do with them? Let me 
have pure Love. Oh! here is sin, here is merit; I want neither 
the one nor the other. Let me have pure Love alone. Here 
is good, here is evil, Oh! take them! I want none of them! 
let me have pure Love alone. Here are good works, here are 
bad works, Oh! place me above them; I want them not. 
Grant that I may have pure Love alone. 

If thou takest the fruit of good works, thou must take the 
fruit of bad works also. If thou takest the fruit of merit thou 
must take the fruit of sin also. Knowledge of the One' implieth 
a knowledge of the many, Ajnana. Taking cleanliness' ye 
cannot get rid of its opposite, uncleanliness. Thus a knowl- 
edge of light implieth a knowledge of darkness, the opposite. 
A knowledge of unity implieth a knowledge of diversity. 

Blessed is that man who loveth God! What mattereth it if 
he eateth the flesh of swine? On the other hand, let a man 
live upon sacred foodt; but if he is attached to the world and 
doth not love God then — 

1 Bhakti. 2 Jnana. 3 Shuchi. 



* Ahalya — wife of the great sage Gautama. She was a devoted wife, but the villainy of 
her seducer, who personated her husband, made her unchaste. Hence the curse ; the 
effect of which was, it is said, that she was turned into stone. The touch of Ramachandra 
made her human once more. 

t Havisya — rice cooked with clarified butter, etc.. and offered to the Deity. 



254 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

Doctor: — Woe unto him! What good shall he gain? I may 
be permitted to put in a word here. Buddha once ate swine's 
flesh. What do you think was the immediate result? Why, 
colic. Now the poor man took to opium as a remedy. Ye 
know what is the secret of 'Nirvana and all such nonsense — 
the man remained stupefied with opium, and in such a state 
had no sense-consciousness. This was your so-called 'Nirvana!' 

This from the Doctor on the doctrine of Nirvana taught by 
Buddha gave rise to roars of laughter. The conversation 
went on — 

Sri Ramafyrishna (to Shyam Basu): — To lead the life of a 

householder is by no means wrong. But take care that thou 

workest without attachment, with thy mind 

Th lZ or uu^u n t always pointing to the Feet of the Lord. Sup- 

and Work Without J r ° , , , , f 

Attachment pose a person hath got a carbuncle on the 

back. Now this man talketh as usual. Per- 
haps he attendeth to his daily work. But pain constantly 
putteth him in mind of the carbuncle. In the same way, 
although thou art in the world thou shouldst turn thy mind 
constantly to the Lord. 

A woman secretly carrieth on an intrigue with her lover. 
Live in the world like the woman, doing thy many duties, 
with thy soul secretly yearning for the Lord. She thinketh of 
her lover all the time that she doth her household duties. 

(To the Doctor): Dost thou follow this? 

Doctor: — Having never had such feelings as those of the 
woman, how can I follow? 

Shyam Basu.—Niy dear Doctor, excuse me, but thou dost 
follow a little, dost thou not? (Laughter.) 

Sri Ramakrishna: — More especially as he hath been in the 
business for a long time. Is not that so? (Laughter.) 

Shyam Basu: — Sir, what dost thou think of 
Theosophy Theosophy? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — The long and short of the 
matter is that people making disciples belong to an inferior 
order of men. Again, those that seek for powers also belong 
to an inferior class; such powers, for example, that of getting 
across the river Ganges on foot or of reporting here what an- 
other person is talking about in a far country. It is by no means 
easy for such people to get pure love (Bhakti) for the Lord. 

Shyam Basu: — But, Sir, the Theosophists seek to put Hindu- 
ism once more on a firm basis. 



WITH TtlSCIPLES A T SHYAMPUKUR 255 

Sri Ramakrishna: — That may be. Well, I am not well posted 
as to their views or doings. 

Shy am Basil : — Questions like the following are dealt with in 
Theosophy: What regions is the soul bound for after death 
— -the lunar sphere or the stellar mansions, and so forth? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — I dare say. But let me give thee an idea 
of my way of thinking. Somebody put it to Hanuman, the great 
lover of God, 'What day is it of the lunar fortnight?' Hanu- 
man replied, 'My dear fellow, excuse me. I know nothing 
about the days of the week, the day 1 of the lunar fortnight or 
the stars of telling of one's destiny on a particular day. That 
is not my line. I meditate on God and God alone. 

Shyam Basu: — Sir, the Theosophists believe in Mahatmas. 
May I ask whether thou holdest that Mahatmas are real beings? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — If thou carest to take my word for truth, 
I say 'Yes.' But wilt thou be good enough to let these matters 
alone? Come when I am better. Do but have faith in my 
words, and I will see that thou findest peace. Dost thou not 
see I don't take either money or clothes or any other thing. 
In some theatrical representations 3 respectable visitors are 
expected to encourage the actors by money-gifts during the 
acting. Here people are not called upon to make such gifts. 
This is why so many come here. (Laughter.) 

(To the Doctor): What I have got to say to thee is this — 
but do not take offence! — Thou hast had enough of the things 
of the world — money, fame, lectures and so on. Now give 
thy mind a little to God, and come here now and then. It is 
good to listen to words relating to God. Such words light the 
soul and turn it to God. 

CHAPTER V. 

INCARNATIONS OF GOD 

A short while after the Doctor stood up to say good-bye. 
But Girish came in and the Doctor was so glad to see him 
that he took his seat again. Girish stepping forward saluted 
the Lord and kissed the dust of his hallowed feet. The 
Doctor watched all this in silence. 

Doctor: — So long as I am here Girish Babu will not be good 
enough to come. He must come just as I am about to go 
away. {Laughter.) 

1 Tithi. 2 Rama. 3 Yatras. 



256 GOSPEL OF SRI %AMAKRISHNA 

There was then a talk about the Science Association and 
the lectures delivered there. Girish took an interest in these 
lectures. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to the Doctor): — Wilt thou take me one 
day to the Association? 

Doctor: — My dear Sir, once thou art there thou wilt lose all 
sense-consciousness— at the sight of the glorious and wonder- 
ful works of God — the intelligence shown in those works — 
the adaptation of means to end! 

Sri Ramakrishna: — O indeed! 

Doctor (to Girish): — Do everything else, but pray do not 
worship him as God. By so doing you are only bringing ruin 

upon such a Holy Man! 
SpZualPrlceptor Girish:— Sir, there is, I fear, no help for it. He 

who has enabled me to get across this terrible 
Sea 1 of the World and the no less terrible sea of scepticism, — 
O, how else shall I serve such a person? There is nothing in 
him that I cannot worship. 

Doctor: — I myself hold that all men are equal. A grocer's 
child was once brought in to our place for treatment. Its 
bowels moved. Everybody put up the ends of their cloth to 
their nose. I did not. I sat by the child for half an hour. I 
do not put up the cloth to my nose even when the scavenger 
passes by with the tubs on his head. No, that is for me im- 
possible. The sweeper is by no means less a human being 
than I am. Why shall I look down upon him? As to this 
holy man here, do you think I cannot salute and kiss the dust 
of his feet? Look here — (the Doctor salutes and k^ses the dust of 
the Master's feet.) 

Girish: — Oh, Sir, the angels of heaven are saying, 'Blessed, 
blessed be this auspicious moment!' 

Doctor: — You seem to think that saluting one's feet is some- 
thing like a marvel! You don't see that I can do the same in 
the case of everybody. (To a gentleman seated near.) Now, Sir, 
oblige me by allowing me to salute your feet. (To another.) 
And you, Sir. (To a third.) And you, Sir. (The Doctor salutes 
the feet of many.) 

Vivekananda (to the Doctor): --Sir, we look upon the Master 
as a person who is like God. Let me make my idea clear to 
you. There is a point somewhere between the vegetable 
creation and the animal creation where it is difficult to say 

1 Samsar samudra. 



WITH TUSCIPLES A T SHYAMPUKUR 257 

whether a particular thing is a vegetable or an animal. Much 
in the same way there is a point somewhere between the 
man-world and the god -world where you cannot say with 
certainty whether a person is a human being or a god. 

Doctor: — Well, my friend, matters relating to God cannot 
be explained by analogy. 

Vwekcmanda: — I say not God, but God-like man. 

Doctor: — You should not give vent to feelings of reverence 
like that. Speaking for myself, no one has been able, I am 
sorry to say, to judge my inward feelings. My best friends 
often regard me as stern and cruel. Even you, my good 
friends, may beat me some day with shoes and turn me out. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to the Doctor): — Now, don't Doctor! These 
people love thee so much! They watch and look for thee 
like ladies come together in the bride-chamber looking for 
the coming bride-groom! (Laughter.) 

Girish: — Sir, everyone here has the greatest respect for you. 

Doctor (sorrowfully): — My son — even my wife — looks upon 
me as hard-hearted — and for the simple reason that I am by 
nature loath to give vent to my feelings. 

Girish: — In that case, Sir, don't you think it would be better 
to throw open the door of your mind — at least out of pity for 
your friends. You well see that your friends do not under- 
stand you. 

Doctor: — Shall I say it? Well, my feelings are worked up even 
more than yours. 

(To Vivekananda): I shed tears in solitude. 

Doctor (to Sri Ramakrishna) — Well, Sir, may I say that it is 
not good that you allow people during Samadhi to touch your 

feet with their body? 
^Atonement"" ^ n R ama krishna : — Surely thou dost not say 

that I am conscious of this? 
Doctor: — You feel that that is not a right thing to do, don't you? 

Sri Ramakrishna: — What shall I say as regards the state of 
my mind during Samadhi? After the Samadhi is over I some- 
times go so far as to ask myself, may this not be the cause of 
the disease that I have got? The thing is, the thought of God 
maketh me mad. All this is the result of madness. There is 
no help for it. 

Doctor (to disciples): — He expresses regret for what he does. 
He feels that the act is sinful. 

1 Guru. 



258 GOSPEL OF SRI KAMAKR1SHNA 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Vivekananda): — Well, thou hast great 
penetration. Do explain it all to him. 

Girish (to Doctor):— Sir, you are quite mistaken. He is by 
no means sorry that his feet touch the persons of the devotees. 
No, it is not that. His body is pure, sinless; purity itself. He 
is good enough, in his anxiety for their spiritual welfare, to 
allow his hallowed feet to touch the body of the devotees. As 
a result of his taking their sins upon himself, his own body, 
he sometimes thinks, may be suffering from disease. You 
may think of your own case. You were once taken ill with 
colic, as you once told us, as the result of hard study. Well, 
did you not at that time express your regret that you had sat 
up reading till very late hours at night? Does that prove that 
reading till late hours at night is bad? The Master may be 
sorry from the point of view of a patient. He is by no means 
sorry from the point of view of a Teacher from God anxious 
for the welfare of humanity. 

The Doctor was rather put out of countenance and hung 
down his head. 

Doctor (to Girish): — I confess I am beaten. Now give me 
the dust of your feet. 

(To Vivekananda): — This matter apart, I must admit the 
acuteness of his (Girish's) intellectual powers. 

Vivekananda (to Doctor): — You may view the question an- 
other way. You sometimes devote your life to the task of mak- 
ing a scientific discovery — and then you do not look to your 
body, your health and so forth. Now, the knowledge of God is 
the grandest of all sciences; is it not natural that the Master has 
risked his health for this purpose, and may be, has ruined it? 

Doctor: — Religious reformers without a single exception, — 
Buddha, Jesus, Chaitanya, Mahammad, — all were at the end 
filled with egotism. They all declare, 'What 
Incarnations of God [ say — that alone — is absolutely correct; no- 
thing else!' How shocking! 
With this the Doctor stood up to depart. 

Girish (to the Doctor): — Sir, don't you think you are running 
into the same error? You point out they were egotists all, — all 
of them, without exception, egotists! You find fault with them 
and, don't you think, the same charge may be laid at your door? 

The Doctor was silent. 

Vivekananda: — We offer to him worship bordering on divine 
worship. 



SECTION XIV. 

March 1886 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT COSSIPORE GARDEN WITH NARENDRA 

(VIVEKANANDA), RAKHAL, M., GIRISH, 

AND OTHER DISCIPLES 

CHAPTER I. 

DIVINE INCARNATION FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE 
THAT LOVE THE LORD 

Sri Ramakrishna is staying with his disciples in the garden 
at Cossipore. He is lying very ill in the large, room upstairs. 

It is evening. Narendra (Vivekananda) and Rakhal are 
gently stroking his feet with the hand. Mani is also seated 
near the Master, who beckoneth unto him to join in the 
service. Mani relieveth one of the two brothers and gently 
stroketh the feet of the Master. 

It is Sunday, 14th of March, 1886; second Chaitra, the ninth 
day of the light fortnight of Falgun. It is the Sunday after his 
Birthday Anniversary, which came off on the preceding Sun- 
day at the garden. Last year the anniversary was celebrated 
with great rejoicings at the Temple at Dakshineshwara. This 
year the Master is very ill and his disciples are sore troubled 
in spirit. God indeed was worshipped as usual on that day 
and the usual offerings were made to him. But there was no 
feast made in which the public could take part. 

The disciples are all present in the garden watching and 
nursing their beloved Master. Our Holy Mother is also here, 
— night and day is She engaged in the blessed service of Her 
Lord. Most of the younger disciples are here. They have 
practically left their homes and have thrown themselves heart 
and soul into this noble work — that of ministering unto him 
— of whom they have learnt the true meaning of their life in 
this enigmatic world. 

The older disciples, many of whom have entered the world, 
come to see the Master almost every day. Some of them will 
come here to stay for two or three days together at a time. 

He is very ill to-day. It is midnight. The garden and the 
house have bathed in the moonlight. But the heart of the 
disciples knoweth no peace, for it is feared that he, who hath 



230 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

solved the Problem of Life for them, is about to leave this 
world ! 

It is perfect silence on all sides. All nature is still, — save 
for the murmuring sound of the leaves which slightly move in 
the gentle breeze of spring that bloweth from the south. In 
the midst of this stillness is the Master, lying down in his 
chamber upstairs, restless, sleepless! One or two disciples are 
seated near, watching. At times he seemeth to fall asleep. 
Or is it that he hath passed into that blessed state of com- 
munion 1 in which the mind remaineth unmoved in the midst 
of the greatest sorrow and sufferings? 

M. is seated by his side, speechless, bewildered, at the sight 
of sufferings unspeakable, — a sight which will rend the heart 
of the most hard-hearted. At the bidding of the Master, he 
cometh still nearer. He saith to M., in broken words, "Lest 
thou and thy brothers here shall go about weeping, I do suffer 
so much! — if ye all say, 'Thy sufferings of the flesh are terrible 
— let the body be given up' — if ye will say it — then this body 
may be laid aside!" 

M. is speechless and looketh bewildered! 

It is the moment of agony with the disciples; their heart is 
rent asunder. He who is their Father, their Mother, their 
Leader, their Protector, their Master, their All, speaketh these 
words! What are they to say in reply? 'Is this another Cruci- 
fiction?' — thinketh one of them to himself. 'Another sacrifice 
for the sake of mankind and specially for the sake of those 
who in the absence of their Shepherd will be like so many 
scattered sheep?' 



It is the dead of night. The Master getteth worse! Is there 
no help? 

A message is sent to Calcutta friends. Dr. Upendra and 
Kaviraj Navagopal come up with Girish from Calcutta at the 
dead of night. 

The disciples are with the Master. He seemeth a little better. 

He saith, "The sufferings are of the flesh; that is as it should 
be — for the body is made of the five elements, — yes, it 
cometh from matter." 

Turning to Girish, he saith — "What dost thou think I always 
see in this state? Well, it is the spiritual forms of the Lord. 

1 Yoga. 



WITH THE "DISCIPLES AT COSSIPORE 261 

Many and various are those forms! Amongst them do I 
behold this form here; in which too the Lord hath manifested 
Himself." 

(By 'this form' the Master meaneth his own form.) 



CHAPTER II. 
GOD- VISION BY SRI RAMAKRISHNA 

It is between 7 and 8 the following morning; Monday, 15th 
of March. The Master hath rallied a little. Softly talketh he 
with the disciples. He is seated, reclining on pillows. At 
times he expresseth his thoughts by means of signs. 

Narendra, Rakhal, M., Latoo, Sasi, Gopal (senior) — are 
seated before him. 

The disciples sit mute; their heart knoweth no peace. 
They call back to their mind the state of the Master overnight 
and look grave. 

Master (to M.): — Knowest thou what I see? I see Him as 

All. Man and other creatures, — they appear as veritable 

figures skin-bound, — with the Lord within, — 

God Manifestcth shaking the head or moving the hands and 

Himself as Man and L \ 

Nature feet! 

I had once a like perception: — One Substance 
I felt had taken the forms of the Cosmos with all living crea- 
tures! like a house of wax, with gardens, roads, men, cows, 
and the rest, all made of wax and nothing but wax! 

I see, I realize, that all the three come of one Substance, — 
the victim to be sacrificed, the block for sacrifice, and he who 
cutteth down the victim for sacrifice. 

Doth the Master say that he offereth himself as a sacrifice 
for the sake of mankind and that it is the Lord that mani- 
festeth Himself as the victim for sacrifice? 

Saying this the Master crieth out in a feeble voice, "Ah me! 
Ah me! What a Vision!" 

The state of God-consciousness once more! The Master 
hath departed from the sense-world! The state of ecstasy is 
not good for him; so think the disciples. But they know not 
what to do. 

He hath again come to the world of the senses. He saith, 
"Now I am free from suffering of any kind. I am as well as 
ever." 



262 GOSPEL OF SRI 71AM A KRISHNA 

The disciples see that he hath passed into a state which is 
beyond joy and grief, happiness and misery. 

Latoo hangeth down his head which resteth on the palm of 
his hand, as he watcheth the Master with a sorrowful heart. 

The Master lifteth up his eyes and looketh on the disciples. 
His heart overfloweth with the unspeakable love that he 
beareth towards his darlings — a love that the world cannot 
give! — a love that passeth all human understanding. 

Rakhal and Narendra! How he doth fondle them! He 
stroketh their face and caresseth them as if they were children 
five years old! 

A short while after he saith to M. in a sad tone, — "Were it 
given to this body to stay on in this world for a few days 
more, the souls of many people would have been waked up!" 

With these words he remained silent for a time. He con- 
tinueth, saying, — 

"But it hath been ordained otherwise!" 

The disciples wait for his next words. The Master saith 
again, — "Yes, such is not the will of the Lord; here is one in 
whom there is no guile, one that knoweth no letters; and 
people may take advantage. He may give away God's best 
gifts to those that are not worthy and know not the value of 
devotional exercises, in this money-getting, sense-loving age." 

Doth the Master mean that the Son of God, the Divine 
Incarnation, is the Embodiment of God's Love for Mankind 
and that the world cannot be kept going if every human 
being that liveth and will beget children knoweth God and 
accepteth His Son? 

Rakhal (affectionately) : — Do speak to the Lord, Sir, so that 
thy body may abide in this world for some time. 

Sri Ramakrishna : — The Lord shall do His Will. 

Narendra: — Thy will hath become one with the Will of the 
Lord! 

The Master holdeth his peace as if thinking within himself. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Narendra, Rakhal and others): — Well, 
nothing cometh of my speaking to the Lord about it. His 
Will shall be done. 

I now see that I and my Divine Mother have become one 
once for all. Radha said to Krishna, 'O, Beloved, abide thou 
within my heart and appear not any longer in thy human 
form.' But she soon yearned to see Krishna in human form. 
Her heart struggled and panted after the Beloved. But the 



WITH THE 'DISCIPLES A T COSSIPORE 263 

Lord's Will must be done, and Krishna did not appear in 
human form for a long time. 

Rakhal (aside to the disciples): — Master speaketh of Chai- 
tanya. 

M. (to himself): — One with his Divine Mother! One with 
the Undifferentiated! Now it is so hard for him to continue 
as a separate Personality! The Son merged into the Mother! 
Is this the meaning of the Master? 

CHAPTER III. 
A MESSAGE FROM THE BEYOND 

The disciples sit still. The Master looketh on them with 
affection. He putteth his hands upon his heart and will speak. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Narendra and other disciples): — Here 
(i. e., within myself) there are two Persons. One is the Divine 
Mother— 

The disciples wait for the rest of his words. 

He continueth — 

One is the Divine Mother, the other person is his devotee. 
It is the second person who hath been now taken ill. Do ye 
understand this? 

The disciples sit still and do not utter a single word. 

Sri Ramakrishna: — Alas! To whom shall I speak all this? 
And who is there to understand me? 

A short while and the Master continueth — 

The Lord cometh with His disciples as a Divine Incarna- 
tion. He taketh a human body. His disciples go back with 
him to the Divine Mother. 

Rakhal: — Therefore, thou must not go before us and leave 
us behind. 

The Master smileth — with love unspeakable, beaming from 
his eyes! He saith on — 

A band of Bauls cometh into a house all on a sudden; — 
they chant the Name of the Lord and dance with joy! That 
done, they leave the house at once! As abrupt in going as in 
coming! And the people know them not! 

The Master and the disciples smile. Bauls are a sect of 
Hindus who renounce the world and are filled with the mad- 
ness of Divine Love. 

The Master continueth — 

Taking a human body one cannot avoid suffering. 



264 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

I sometimes say to myself, "May the Lord grant that I may 
not be sent unto this world any more!" 

But there is one thing to be taken into account. The rice 
and dal to be had in one's home ceaseth to interest one if one 
cometh to be called to the Lord's Feast. 

M. (to himself): — Doth the Master mean that the Son of 
God Who is the Embodiment of God's Love is ever fond of 
abiding with His own, viz., those that love the Lord, the Lord 
alone? The Ambrosia that He distributeth at His Feast, is it 
not the Love of the Lord? 

Master: — He taketh the human body for the sake of the 
pure souls that love the Lord alone. 

The Master looketh on Narendra with ineffable tenderness! 

Master (to Narendra): — A pariah 2 was carrying the flesh of 

slaughtered animals in baskets suspended on each side of the 

yoke fitted to his shoulders, when he met 

The Master Teacheth Sankaracharya (the Hindu saint and reformer) 

Narendra the Path to • i f. < 1 ,1 • -.111 L £ 

Knowledge* and to passing by after bathing in the holy waters ot 

the Love* of God the Ganges. It chanced that he touched the 

person of the holy man. Sankara got offended 
and cried out, 'Thou hast touched me, sirrah!' He replied, 
'Lord, neither have I touched thee, nor hast thou touched me!' 
Do thou reason with me and say whether thy true Self is the 
body or the mind or the determinative faculty 5 , and tell me 
what thou art truly. Thou knowest that the true Self is not 
attached to any of the three ingredients with which the 
Cosmos is made, viz., — 

1 . Love 6 , Renunciation, etc., which lead to God. 

2. The principle 7 of activity which leadeth to action. 

3. Ignorance 8 which turneth one away from God. 

The Absolute, — dost thou know what It is like? It is like 
the air, which carrieth the odors, be they good or bad, but 
remaineth unattached to the odors. 

Narendra: — That is indeed true, Sir. 

Master: — The Absolute is beyond all attributes, — beyond 
whatever is connected with the world-system . 

The world-system either leadeth Godward or away from 
God 10 . 'Lust and Gold' lead us away from God. Knowledge, 
Renunciation, Devotion lead to God. Sankara never parted 
with the latter. He kept on the Ego of the Preceptor! Thou 

1 Avatar. 2 Chandala. 3 Jnana. 4 Bhakti. 5 Buddhi. 6 Sattva. 7 Rajas. 8 Tamas. 
9 Maya. 10 Vidya and Avidya. 



WITH THE 'DISCIPLES A T COSSIPORE 265 

and the others here feel concern for me ; — this concern 
cometh out of the latter and it leadeth to God. 

If one taketh the help of that part of the world-system 
which leadeth to God, one may realize the Absolute 1 . Reach- 
ing the roof some like to come up and down the staircase; — 
they retain the Love of Personal God after realization of the 
Absolute. They do so for giving an example of themselves 
to mankind; and also enjoying the sweetness of Divine Love 
and the company of those that love the Lord. 

Narendra and other disciples do not say a word; but sit still. 

Doth the Master think of and point to himself, — as he 
teacheth Narendra? 

Narendra: — There are people who get very 

Narendra and 1 1 . 1 I . , ,1 

Renunciation much annoyed with me, as I point out the 

need for Renunciation. 
Master (softly): — One must renounce, — give up the world for 
the sake of the Lord. 

The Master looketh grave, — gently toucheth his own person 
and draweth the attention of Narendra and other disciples, 
saying, "Suppose, there are two things in a line one after the 
other, in such a way that ye cannot get at the second object 
without putting the first and nearer object on one side. In 
that case if ye want to take the second and more distant 
object must ye not put the first object on one side?" 

Narendra: — Precisely so, Sir! 

Master (softly to Narendra): — When thou seest everything as 
the manifestation of the Lord, canst thou see anything but the 
Lord. Is there any world 2 or family left, — standing by itself? 

Narendra: — Assuredly not. The world must be renounced! 

Master: — If thou seest the Lord alone, surely thou canst not 
see anything else, — one's family and kinsmen 2 and so forth! 

But one needeth to give up from the mind. Those . that 
come here, — none of them is of the world. 

(Smiling): Some among them chanced to have a fancy for 
women. (Rakhal, M., and others smile.) That is all. They 
are in the world but not of the world. Their desire to enjoy 
the company of women hath been fulfilled and they can now 
give their whole mind to God. 

1 Brahmajnana. - Samsara. 



266 GOSPEL OF SRI <RAMAKRISHNA 

NARENDRA AND HIS HEROIC SPIRIT 

Tenderly doth the Master look upon Narendra. He is filled 
with joy as he casteth his eyes upon him. He turneth upon 
his disciples and saith, 'It is a marvel!' 

Narendra (smiling to Master): — What is a marvel, Sir? 

Master (smiling): —The progress that is being made towards 
Renunciation. 

The Master meaneth the renunciation by Narendra. 

Narendra and other disciples hold their peace and look on 
the Master. 

Here Rakhal speaketh. 

Rakhal (smiling to Master): — Narendra is now beginning to 
understand thee well. 

The Master smileth and saith,- — 

Yes, that is so. What is more, I see there are many more 
here who are beginning to understand. (To M.) Is not the 
case? 

M. : — Yes, Sir, that is indeed quite true. 

The Master looketh for a time on Narendra and M. He 
beckoneth to Rakhal and other disciples, pointing to them. 
First he pointeth to Narendra and then to M. 

Rakhal seeth his meaning and speaketh. 

Rakhal (smiling to Master) : — Thou meanest, Sir, that 
Narendra hath the spirit of a hero, while M. hath the spirit of 
a Sakhi (a lady friend). (Laughter.) 

(By Sakhi Rakhal meaneth one who like the Gopis of 
Brindaban worshippeth the Lord of the Universe as the 
Bridegroom.) 

The Master smileth. 

Narendra (smiling): — M. here is a man of few words — and 
shy; is it thus that thou callest him a Sakhi? 

Master (smiling to Narendra): — Well, what thinkest thou is 
the nature of my feelings? 

Narendra: — Why, Sir, thou art everything! A hero who hath 
cut his way to the Reality with the sword of Discrimination 
and with a strength which the world cannot give! Thou hast 
the feelings of a Sakhi too — love unspeakable, the ecstasy of 
Divine Love which is called up by the Divine Lover alone. 
Thou art a hero, Sakhi — and everything else — in thy yearn- 
ing for the Lord! 



WITH THE TflSCIPLES A T COSSIPORE 267 

A REVELATION 

1 he Master hath all his feelings stirred up. He layeth his 
hand upon the heart and speaketh. 

Master (to Narendra and other disciples.): — I see — I realize 
that all things — every conceivable thing — cometh out 
of this ! 

He asketh Narendra by signs, 'What dost thou understand?' 

Narendra: — Every conceivable thing, i. e., all created objects 
come out of Thee! 

Master (rejoicing to Rakhal): — Seest thou how he under- 
standeth? 

He asketh Narendra to sing. Narendra will renounce the 
world and is filled with the spirit of Renunciation. He 
singeth — 

SONG 

Transitory is human life like the drops of water that have found 
their way into the petals of the lotus. 

Hence the need for the company of holy men that have renounced 
the world. 

One instant spent in their company doeth duty as a boat with 
which to go across the Sea of the World. 

Here the Master interrupteth Narendra, saying, 'What is it 
that thou singest? These are common-place — and meant 
only for the beginner. 

Narendra now singeth of the Lord as the Divine Lover 
whom the devotee longeth to see. 

SONG 

1. O, my friend! whither is gone the Divine Lover of Braja 1 ? 
Dost thou not see that separation from Him will kill me ? 

2. Plain daughter of a milkman that 1 am, He hath forgotten me 
and hath made the acquaintance of others more handsome than 
myself! Who did know, my dear friend, that a Lover so tender, so 
Divine, would go about in quest of personal charms? 

3. Fool was I to have forgotten myself at the sight of His heavenly 
beauty and to have held his feet fast to my (throbbing) bosom ! O, 
now I must consign this body to a watery grave in the Jamuna ; or 
do thou get me poison and let me thus put an end to a miserable 
existence ! 

4. Or let me have some creeper from the woods to fasten round 
my neck ; let me thus die by hanging to a young Tamal tree (dark- 
brown like Him) ; 

1 Brindaban. 



268 GOSPEL OF SRI "RAMAKRISHNA 

Failing all this let me repeat night and day the sweet name of the 
Beloved, Shyam 1 , Shyam, Shyam, Shyam, and stop not until this miser- 
able body ceaseth to exist. 

The Master as well as his disciples are all deeply touched 
with the sweetness of the song. Tears of Love Divine stand 
on the eyes of the Master and of Rakhal. 

Narendra is filled with ecstasy, places himself in the posi- 
tion of a Gopi of Brindaban (a female lover of the Lord) and 
singeth again. 

SONG 

My Beloved ! O Beloved Mine ! 
What do I say to Thee, O what do I say ? 

(Foolish woman that I am and never a favorite of Fortune.) 
Thou art the Mirror to be held by my hands. Thou art the Flower 
for my head ! 

O, I shall make Thee a Flower, wear Thee among my hairs! 

1 shall hide Thee, hide Thee, O my Beloved, under the braided 
hair: 

Worn under the hair no one shall find Thee ! 

O, Thou art the cooling collyrium for the eye. 

Thou art the betel leaf (chewed with nuts and sweet, fragrant 
spices) for the mouth : 

I shall make Thee, O my Beloved, my Shyam, collyrium for the 
eyes and thus wear Thee! 

They shall think I have painted my eyes with the dark-brown 
pigment and shall not find Thee ! 

Thou art the cool fragrant Sandal Paste for the body and the 
Necklace for the neck! 

I shall cool, O my Beloved, my body, mind and soul with Thee, 

my dark-brown Sandal Paste ! 

And I shall make Thee my Necklace and wear Thee round my 
neck and on my bosom and next to my heart. 

To the body Thou art the Life ! To the house Thou art the One 
thing that one cannot do without. 

To me, O my Beloved, Thou art verily as wings are for the bird, — 
as water is for the fish ! 

1 Sri Krishna. 



INDEX 



INDEX 



271 



Abhedananda (see Kali) 

Absolute (Brahman), unattached, 51 ; 
our 'Absolute' implies the relative, 
68, 247, 248 ; is beyond speech 
and mind, 249 ; not defiled by 
mouth, 250 ; vide Brahman. 

Adesa (commandment), 160. 

Adhar, 6, 170. 

Advaita and Vishishtadvaita, a recon- 
ciliation, 69 ; philosophy, 64 ; vide 
Vedanta. 

Advaitist, or Non-dualist, his pro- 
blem, 64 ; and ordinary men, 66, 98. 

Agnosticism in the West, 156. 

Ahalya, 253. 

All ways lead to God, 163; lead to 
the same Goal, 165. 

Analogies, the use of, 59. 

Anur, the place of the Master's first 
God-vision, 2. 

Ashtangayoga, 164. 

Ashtavakra Samhita, 132. 

Atonement and the Guru, 257. 

Avesh, 187. 



Bhavanath, 146. 

Body, gross body, subtle body, the 
body of ecstasy, 252 ; and soul 97. 

Bondage, the cause of, 37. 

Book-learning, the value of, 50, 212; 
and Divine Wisdom, 234 ; and 
Egotism, 250. 

Brahman, is the Unconditioned, 51 ; 
Unattached, 51 ; Unspeakable, 52; 
is beyond Conditioned Knowledge, 
53 ; beyond Desa, Kala, Nimitta, 
52 ; beyond all predication, 54 ; and 
Shakti, — One and the same, 59; 
is not beyond the Purified Super- 
sensual Mind, 218; vide Absolute. 

Brahmacharya, 25, 54. 

Brahmananda (see Rakhal). 

Brahmaism and Christianity, 173. 

Brahma -Samaj, 106; and Janaka, 
109; and the one thing needful, 
1 52 ; and Motherheod of God, 1 25 ; 
and God's Works, 126; schism in, 
152; and prayer, 126, 130. 



B 



Baburam, 6, 209. 

Bad men, how to deal with them, 32. 

Baddha (the worldly), 36. 

Badge of authority, 162. 

Bael tree, place of Sadhan, 15. 

Balaram, 46, 77, 1 70, 204, 206, 220. 

Bankim Chandra Chatterji, 6. 

Become a child, 148. 

Bejoy (Goswami), 95, 96, 111. 

Benod, 194. 

Bhagavandas, 7. 

Bhagavat Gita, 50. 

Bhakta, can he get a knowledge of 
the Absolute or Brahmajnana ? 
67, 165; his wish, 70; various 
classes of Bhaktas, 127; and the 
Lord's drawing-room, 98 ; or the 
dualist, 98; and Karma, 166; his 
prayer, 166. 

Bhaktiyoga, 150, 157, 164; the Yuga- 
dharma, 165. 

Bhakti, the one thing needful, 184, 
253; and asceticism, 191. 



Carnality, 206. 

Caste-system, 80. 

Chaitanya Deva, 94, 162. 179; and 
Sri Ramakrishna, 51, 192; Owner 
of Divine Wisdom and Love, 178. 

Chandramani Devi, Sri Ramakrish- 
na's Mother, I. 

Charitable and other works, 155. 

Charity, 133; and Self-love, 155. 

Child-like simplicity and faith, 237. 

Christianity, 106. 

Chunilall, 6, 204, 206, 217, 220. 

Commandment, Divine, 114, 160. 
How to receive it from God, 162. 

Communion by Love, 157, (see Bhak- 
tiyoga). 

Company of holy men, 106, 249; and 
the giving up of the world, 239. 

Contradiction or harmony, 184. 

Cosmos made up of Sattva, Rajas 
and Tamas, 264. 

Cossipore Garden, 259. 

Creation, 102. 

Creeds, room enough for all, 1 12. 

Criterion of Truth, 237. 



272 



INDEX 



Dakshineshwara, 2, 132. 

Daya, 133, 187. 

Dayananda Saraswati, 7, 130. 

Debendra, 6. 

Desires and passions, how to control 
them, 232. 

Devotion to God, 253 ; its effect on 
work, 150. 

Disciples, how to choose them, 45 ; 
his own, 6 ; with his, 83, 1 1 8, 1 32, 
143, 181, 191, 204, 228. 

Discrimination and dispassion, 30, 
68, 158, 160; after True Knowl- 
edge, 56, 91. 

Disputation and realization, 225. 

Diversity, 36. 

Dreams, God-vision in, 87. 

Dualist, 98, 171. 

Duty of a father, 25. 



Each his own way, 231. 

Ecstatic Love, 246. 

Ego — of knowledge, 171 ; of a ser- 
vant, 171; of Bhakti, 172; of love 
and the problem of life, 193; of 
the preceptor, 264. 

Egoism and altruism, 153. 

Egotism, 147. 

Energy, the Omnipotent, 122. 

End of life or the one thing needful, 
85,88,91, 184, 237, 252. 

England and America, 149. 

Environment, the power of, 106. 

Equal — are all men equal? 36, 59. 

Evil, problem of, 36, 51 ; and devo- 
tees, 135. 

Experience for a teacher, 158. 

External World, what is it? 64. 



Faith — power of, 37; and self-sur- 
render, 24 1 ; efficacy of, 70 ; its 
Omnipotence, 73 ; the one thing 
needful, 237. 

Fame, desire for it condemned, 131, 
147; is it the end of life? 252. 

Family life, with discrimination , 1 10. 



Fear not, 154, 162, 247. 
First seek God, 91. 
Fit vessels, 168. 
Formless or with form? 188. 
Forms of the Deity, 63. 
Freedom, 206 ; cherish the idea ' I 
am Free,* 133; curse of service, 

146, 197. 

Fruit of True Knowledge, 155. 



Gadadhar, name of his childhood, 1 . 

Ganga Mata, 6. 

Gardener, the Divine, 128. 

Gifts, 209. 

Girish, 6, 194, 198, 207, 217, 260; and 
Doctor, 256; and Vivekananda, 
220, 256. 

Goal of the Vedantin, union, 53. 

God — is God with or without form ? 
26, 229; how to see Him, 31 ; His 
name enough to save a sinner, 38 ; 
the only proof of, 58 ; is He par- 
tial ? 59 ; proofs of God Personal 
and God impersonal, 58 ; Personal 
God a necessity, 65, 72 ; Personal 
God can give Knowledge of the 
Absolute , 67 ; chanting God's 
Name, 86, 107; is anything impos- 
sible with Him ? 89 ; the one thing 
needful, 85 ; in the temple of the 
heart, 91 ; God with different 
Names, 98; One God, 101 ; the 
only Master, 111, 113, 130; the 
Primal Divine Energy, 122; the 
Absolute and the Mother the same, 
123; He does everything, 129; the 
Absolute and Creator One and the 
same, 100, 138; God's Upadhis 
many, 1 38 ; is Love, 1 52 ; how to 
know God, 1 76 ; what it is to see 
Him, 189; doth God incarnate 
Himself? 199; is not beyond the 
Purified Mind, 218; seer of God 
doeth no evil, 258; God in every- 
thing, 261 ; God and soul, 53; and 
Man, 239 ; manifesteth Himself in 
Man and Nature, 261. 

God-Incarnate and revelation, 223. 

God-in-man, 122. 



INDEX 



273 



God- vision, 71, 222; signs of God- 
vision, 148; and Immortality, 121; 
Kingdom of Heaven first, 88. 

Good and evil, 5 1 . 

Grace, 238. 

Guilelessness, 171, 145, 187. 

Guru is only a spiritual awakener 
and help, 167. 

Guru and atonement, 257. 

H 

Hanuman, 193, 255. 

Hari (Turiyananda), 6. 

Harmony of creeds, 184 ; of religions, 
7, 118. 

Hazra, 123, 161, 182. 

Hope to all religious cults, 163. 

Hospital, the Lord's, 127. 

Householder, his imperfections, 195; 
the problem of life solved for, 29, 
93, 105, 109, 155, 200; should not 
say, 'I am He,' 132; should say, 
'I am free,' 133; message of hope 
to, 201. 

How to pray, 216, 253. 

Humility, 24. 



Ideal man, or Sannyasin, 195; never 
lose sight of the ideal, 151. 

Ideal-Tyagi, 161. 

Identity of God, Soul and Nature, 
64; of the Mother with the Soul 
and the Cosmos, 66. 

Ignorance, 26, 73. 

Illusive Power of Maya, 56. 

Image worship, 26, 28. 

Images, the Divine Presence in, 134. 

Immortality of the soul, 121 ; sea of, 
163. 

Impersonal and personal, 58 ; iden- 
tity of, 75, 223. 

Incarnation, 122, 206, 220, 255, 258, 
263 ; and revelation, 223 ; doth 
God incarnate Himself as man ? 
199, 206, 236; is it necessary to 
believe in it ? 241. 

Independence, 209. 

Infinite, 207. 

Intoxication with Divine Love, 1 74. 



Involution and evolution, 1 73. 
Ishan, 228, 236. 



Jairambati, birthplace of the Holy 

Mother, 3. 
Janaka and Brahma-Samaj, 109. 
Jnanayoga, 51, 149, 163, 164. 
Jnanin like a steam boat, 171. 



Kali (Abhedananda), 6, 243. 

Kalipada, (Ghosh), 6. 

Kamarpukur, his place of birth, 1. 

Karma, 135, 166, 181 ; and the Divine 
Mother, 67 ; vide work. 

Karmayoga, 149; difficult in this age, 
150, 163, 164; wc/e work. 

Kedarnath, 38. 

Keshab Chandra Sen, 5,25, 125, 129, 
130; and Ramakrishna, 119, 120. 

Khudiram Chatterjee, his father, 1 . 

Kindness to all, 187. 

Kingdom of Heaven or social re- 
forms? 88. 

Knower and lover, 138. 

Knowledge of Oneness, 247 ; knowl- 
edge which leads Godward, 49 ; 
fruit of True Knowledge, 155. 

Krishnakishore and his faith, 6, 80, 
107, 132. 



Latu, 83, 120, 183, 204, 206. 
Learning without discrimination, 160. 
Lectures and social reforms, 91 ; the 

value of lectures, 27, 158, 161. 
Liberated Soul and Divine Mother, 

103. 
Liberated, 36. 
Life, the enigma of, 103 ; the end of, 

115; the problem of, 72, 155. 
Logic, induction and deduction, 40. 
Lord, nothing is good or beautiful 

without the, 246. 
Lord's drawing-room, 98. 
Lord's hospital, 127. 
Love — of one's own is Maya, 133; 

love of God and renunciation, 153 ; 

love alone gives access to the Holy 



274 



INDEX 



of Holies, 157; its effect on discrim- 
ination, 158; its characteristics, 183. 



M 



M., his first meeting with the Master, 
21, 24, 79, 134; M.'s meeting with 
Narendra, 31 ; M. and the Master, 
39, 45, 48, 79, 118, 132, 134, 145, 
203, 205, 222, 245, 281. 

Madness of love, !44. 

Mahima, 146, 191, 202. 

Mani and the married man's pro- 
blem, 92. 

Manomohan, 6, 197. 

Married man, 92, 187. 

Master and disciple, 24, 111. 

Mathoor, 3, 11, 83, 126. 

Maya, 51, 56, 133; and Brahman, 69. 

Mayavada and Parinamavada, 69. 

Mazumdar, 147. 

Meditation, 29 ; how to meditate, 90. 

Men, divided into four classes, 36. 

Message from the Beyond, 263 ; a 
message of hope for the house- 
holder, 201. 

Monastic life, strict discipline of, 239. 

Money and riches, 30. 

Mother, the Omnipotent, 61 ; and 
Karma, 67; the spider and her web, 
103 ; Divine Mother and the Liber- 
ated Soul, 1 03 ; Divine Mother and 
Her relation to Sri Ramakrishna, 
113; Divine Mother and Her ma- 
nifestations, 119; Her special ma- 
nifestations, 1 23 ; all power cometh 
from Her, 1 29 ; giveth Brahma- 
jnana, 61 ; She alone can bless, 
129; Her presence in every home, 
131 ; Divine Mother, 102, 105; Di- 
vine Mother and God the Abso- 
lute, 103, 123; Her special mani- 
festations, (Narendra, Rakhal and 
others), 123. 

Motherhood of God and Brahma- 
Samaj, 125. 

Mukta (liberated), 36. 

Mumukshu, 36. 



N 



Naba Gopal, 6. 

Narayan, 6, 194, 209, 213, 217. 



Narendra (Vivekananda), 183, 194, 
201, 213; meets M., 31; how to 
deal with bad men, 32 ; doctrine 
of non-resistance, 34; the Ever- 
perfect, 38; on school-discipline, 
85 ; and the one thing needful, 88 ; 
and the Master, 79, 118, 136; a 
pure Soul, 123; and the world, 
201 ; God-in-man, 225; special ma- 
nifestation of the Mother, 226 ; and 
Girish, 220; and Dr. Sircar, 256; 
and renunciation, 265 ; and his he- 
roic spirit, 266 ; at the age of twen- 
ty four, vide picture. 

Narendra (junior), 206. 

New philosophy, 64, 65 — 71. 

Newspapers, 219. 

Nirakar, 188. 

Nitya (ever-free), 36. 

Nityasiddhas, Narendra, Rakhal and 
Bhabanath, 141. 

Non-attachment and Divine Wisdom, 
177. 

Non-dualist, 98. 



Om, 22. 

One and many, 54, 60, 122 ; one God 

with different names, 98. 
One Omnipotent Energy, 122. 
Oneness of God, 98, 101. 



Packa Ami, (ripe self), 72. 

Paltu, 6, 209. 

Panchabati, 14, 90, 181; place of 
Sadhan, (practice), vide picture. 

Parables — elephant and a disciple, 
33 ; snake and the holy man, 34 ; 
a devotee crossing the ocean, 38 ; 
Homa bird, 39 ; ants and the 
mountain of sugar, 53 ; salt doll, 
53 ; the Vedic father and his two 
sons, 54 ; the rich man and his 
steward, 73 ; Vibhishan and a 
Bhakta, 73 ; man sinking a well, 
113; the calf and its fortunes, 1 48 ; 
the wood-cutter and the Brahma- 
charin : Go on ahead, 151; the 
poor man and his hut, 1 53 ; pandit 



INDEX 



275 



and the king, 196; Akbar and 
fakir, 198; flies and the basin of 
syrup, 163; maid-servant in Mas- 
ter's house, 29, 155; Ramachandra 
and Hanuman, 73 ; a girl and her 
friend, 249 ; the mango orchard, 
25 1 ; the dyer, 229 ; chameleon, 
230; newspaper-readers, 237 ; ice 
and water, 63. 

Path of knowledge and love both 
lead to God, 63, 70, 223, 264 ; love 
and discrimination, 233 ; path of 
work and the path of devotion, 1 16. 

Patience, 223. 

Perception, of the seer, 124; percep- 
tion of the Infinite, 65. 

Perfect man, 49. 

Perfect ones, their preaching, 160. 

Personal and impersonal, 58 ; one 
and the same, 58, 68, 75 ; personal 
God, proof of, 62 ; a necessity, 65 ; 
can he give the knowledge of the 
Absolute, 67. 

Physical science, 237. 

Pilgrimage, the value of, 83, 166. 

Power of the mind, 106. 

Powharibaba, 97. 

Practice (Sadhan), 160, 252. 

Prahlad, 193, 233; his love of God, 
240. 

Pratap (Mazumdar), 147. 

Prayer, 88 ; its efficacy, 70 ; Lord's 
prayer, 108, 128, 130- how to pray, 
88, 178, 216. 

Pre-arrangement, 1 76. 

Preceptor, 256. 

Problem for this age solved, 150. 

Pure and selfless love, 240. 

Purity, 145, 169; the pure in heart 
see God, 71. 

Purna, 6, 209. 



Quarrels condemned, 111, 



Rajayoga or Ashtangayoga, 164. 
Rakhal (Brahmananda), 6, 79, 83, 
120, 121, 157, 170, 174, 187, 197, 

206,243; at Cossipore, 259 ; Nitya- 
siddha, 141. 



Rama (Datta), 191, 203, 217, 220. 
Rama Kumar, his brother, 3. 
Ramachandra, 73, 178, 253. 
Ramakrishna — in Samadhi, 24, 40, 47, 

61, 95, 97, 120, 137, 144, 157, 159, 
176, 215, 217, 218, 224, 245; and 
the Mother of the Universe, 113; 
and Brahma-Samaj, 109, 125, 126, 
152; and Christianity, 8, 106, 173; 
and Jesus, 8, 101 ; and Islam, 8, 
101 ; and female devotees, 8; and 
Chaitanya, 51,94, 192; his accept- 
ance of all religions, 101, 1 18, 165; 
his love for the disciples, 183, 190, 
260; and the end of life, 85, 88, 91, 
115,1 84, 252 ; and the Ideal for San- 
nyasin (renunciation, 195 — 8; and 
the Tantras, 102 ; and science, 237 ; 
and Vedanta (vide Vedanta) ; and 
Jnanayoga, 51, 149, 163, 165; and 
Bhaktiyoga, 72, 163, 164, 165; and 
Karmayoga, 155, 164; and lectures, 
27, 91, 158, 161 ; and social re- 
forms, 91 ; and married men, 92; 
and Purity, 145, 169; and immor- 
tality of the Soul, 121; and realiza- 
tion, 55,63, 71, 159, 179, 192, 247, 
249; and mere book-learning, 234, 
and how to pray, 216; and sin and 
man's responsibility, 25 1 ; and Yoga, 
163; and Theosophy, 254; his 
child-like simplicity, 42 ; with M. 
and Narendra, 44, 261 ; history as 
told by himself, 79 ; a hint, 1 72, 1 78, 
186; no respector of persons, 81 ; 
his chiding Rani Rashmani, 82 ; his 
relation to the Divine Mother, 113; 
Talking with the Mother, 120; his 
love of a disciple, 146, 190; teach- 
eth how to pray, 216; is every- 
body's disciple, 242; the ideal 
teacher, 161 ; and Vidyasagar, 48; 
and Keshab Sen, 95, 119; and Gi- 
rish, 207; and Rakhal, 262; and 
Narendra, 79, 136, 191, 262; and 
Balaram, 204; and M. (vide M.) ; 
and Dr. Sarkar, 228; and Suren- 
dra, 143; and Sasadhar, 157; and 
Vishwanatha Upadhyaya, 136; and 
the sins of men, 258 ; his state after 
God-vision, 80; teacheth Narendra 
Bhakti and Jnana, 264; God-vision 



276 



INDEX 



by him, 261 ; incarnated for the 
sake of humanity, 259; anxious to 
awaken souls even while suffering, 
260. 

Ramakrishnananda (see Sasi). 

Ramanuja and his Vishishtadwaita, 
221. 

Rani Rashmani, 2, 9, 82. 

Rationcination futile, 62, 68, 139. 

Realization, 55, 71, 225 ; by the path 
of knowledge and the path of love, 
63 ; six steps leading to it, 1 79 ; 
after realization all is Brahman, 192 ; 
of the Absolute, 247 ; company of 
holy men essential to, 249 ; and 
renunciation, 1 59. 

Reconciliation of all religions, 57, 69, 
101, 165. 

Reforms, social, 91. 

Religion, all religions lead to the 
same Goal, 118; reconciliation of 
all religions, 101. 

Religious awakening and time factor, 
167, 176. 

Religious teachers, three classes, 167. 

Renunciation or Sannyasa, 22, 43, 
153, 156,188, 205,265. 

Revelation vs. reason, 58, 62. 

Revelations of the Master, 61 ; Mas- 
ter's revelation, 267. 



Samadhi, 57, 71. 

Sambhu (Mallik), 6, 115, 235. 

Samsara, a fact, 234. 

Sandhya, 22. 

Sankara, his philosophy, 57, 193, 264. 

Sannyasa (renunciation), strict disci- 
pline in, 239; and Narendra, 195 
—8. 

Saptabhumi (seven planes), 170. 

Saralata (guilelessness), 145, 187. 

Sarat, 6, 243. 

Sarkar and Girish, 236, 256; and 
Vivekananda, 256, 257. 

Sarada (Trigunatita), 6. 

Saradamani Devi, his wife and dis- 
ciple, 3, 259. 

Sasadhar, 157. 

Sasi, 6, 261. 

Schisms condemned, 152. 



Science, physical, 237. 

Sectarianism, 155. 

Seers of God, their number limited, 
177. 

Self, the Higher Self knoweth the 
Higher Self, 56; the True Self 
formless, 81 ; Self after God-vision, 
148; Higher Self after realization, 
172. 

Self-surrender, 125. 

Sermon at the Temple by the Mas- 
ter, 176. 

Serve only God, 145, 146; service of 
the world, 146, 197. 

Service, curse of, 146, 197. 

Shad Chakra, (six wheels), 1 70. 

Shyness, contempt and fear, 247. 

Siddhas and incarnations, 265. 

Sikh soldiers, 168. 

Sin, the sence of, 106; saying 'I am 
a sinner' is degrading, 133; the 
doctrine of sin and worship from 
fear, 1 73 ; and responsibility, 25 1 . 

Solitude — the value of, 28; contem- 
plation in solitude, 30. 

Songs for worldly objects, 169. 

Songs — 41, 43, 83, 84, 86, 90, 136, 
174, 199, 210, 235, 267, 268; the 
sinner and the power of God's 
Name, 38 ; Divine Mother, omni- 
potent, unknown, unknowable, 60 ; 
identity of the personal and im- 
personal God, 75 ; faith at the root, 
74 ; the Name of God, 74 ; identity 
of the Mother and God the Abso- 
lute, 103; the Divine Mother and 
Her children, 105; God's sacred 
Name and its power, 1 07 ; the 
world to a lover of God, 109; my 
Divine Mother and the discipline 
of the mind, 108; yearning for the 
Lord, 110; dive deep, 154, 162; 
the Mother of the Universe and 
the difficulty of realization, 1 75 ; 
the God of Love, 1 75 ; the devotee 
and her ecstatic love for Chaita- 
nya, 1 74 ; Gouranga, God incar- 
nate, 211; ecstatic love of God, 
210; the Great Mystery, the Im- 
personal-Personal, 215 ; the Mother 
and Her weary children, 214; Be- 
loved Mother of the Universe, 214 ; 



INDEX 



277 



God-vision, 226 ; the Lord my hus- 
band, 245 ; the Mother of the Uni- 
verse, 245 ; God and His works, 
244 ; the science of God-vision, 248. 

Soul and the body, 97, 98. 

Soul, why is it imperfect? 104; its 
treatment, 127. 

Spider and his web, 103. 

Spiritual forms, 63. 

Spiritual discipline and time factor, 
180. 

Stages of spirituality, 1 77. 

Subodh, 6. 

Subtle body, 252. 

Sukadeva, 21, 53. 

Surendra, 118, 143,206,212. 

Shuvankar and Sri Ramakrishna, 1 . 

Syam Basu, 343. 



Take no thought for the morrow, 185. 

Tantras, 102. 

Tarak (Shivananda), 6, 219. 

Teacher — the Divine Teacher, 92 ; 
the commissioned teacher, 113; 
should not make disciples without 
commandment, 114; commissioned 
teacher invincible, 160; commis- 
sioned teacher and organization, 
160; teacher and wisdom of life, 
161; must realize first, 163; re- 
ligious teachers are of three classes, 
167; highest teachers save men, 
1 72, 240 ; and atonement, 257. 

Tej Chandra, 6, 269. 

Temple-garden, 9. 

Theosophy, 254. 

Time factor, 167, 180. 

Totapuri, his Guru, 4, 219. 

Trailanga Swami, 6, 1 72. 

Truth and revelation, 203. 



U 



" Unity of everything," Sri Rama- 
krishna's favorite saying, 141. 

Unity in diversity, 60, 101. 

Universe unreal, 56, 23 1 . 

Unknown and Unknowable or Brah- 
man, 5 1 . 



Vaishnava Charan, 4. 

Vaishnavism (vide Ramanuja, Chai- 
tanya, Bhaktiyoga). 

Vanity, 250. 

Variety, 28 ; is the law, 60. 

Vedanta philosophy, 51 ; as inter- 
preted by Sankara, 57 ; by Rama- 
nuja, 221 ; and Jnanayoga, 51, 149, 
163, 164; and the problem of evil, 
51; its goal, 53 ; and realization, 
55, 57 ; and Maya, 56 ; and revela- 
tion, 58, 62 ; and God, the Mother, 
61, 66, 67; and Bhaktiyoga, 63, 72, 
149, 164; and the external world, 
• 64 ; its conclusion, 23 1 ; and Bhakti 
(vide Bhaktiyoga) ; and Karma (vide 
Karmayoga). 

Vedanta, practical, (vide work, Kar- 
ma and Karmayoga. 

Vidyasagar, 48. 

Vijnanins, 57. 

Vishwanatha Upadhyaya, 5, 136. 

Vivekananda (vide Narendra). 



W 



Ways to the sea of Immortality Infi- 
nite, 28, 163, 170. 

Wheels, six, 1 70. 

Wisdom, 177; 234. 

Woman, two sorts, 26 ; as mother, 8, 
89, 110. 

Work (Karma), its renunciation for 
the Lord, 22 ; without attachment, 
49, 105 ; the Western idea of work, 
115, 147; the path of work, 116; 
work, not the end of of life, 150; 
giving up of, 159; work vs. faith, 
115, 166, 185; work unattached, 
185; the path of work difficult, 
164; (vide Karma and Karmayoga. 

World — external world, what is it? 
64; its pleasures abandoned for 
God, 239; a prison-house, 97; to 
a lover of God, 109; world and 
Prema, 189; the curse of the 
service of the world, 146; can live 
in it without attachment, 185. 

Worldly men, their nature, 158; like 
vultures, 167; worldly man and 



278 INDEX 

his hope, 178; not easily changed Y 

by Divine Grace, 1 80 ; and ochre- 
colored robe, 1 83 ; and work with- Yearning after the Lord, 110, 111, 
out attachment, 254. 144, 206. 

Worship, many-sided, 241 ; of a Yoga, 99, 163. 
Guru, 256. 



£A£ 3- — The writer of the Gospel is anxious, God willing, to 
go on with the narrative in the succeeding volumes. 



ERRATA 

Page Line 

4 21, 'Ecstacy' should be 'Ecstasy.' 

7 37, > " " " 

8 18, 'o' should be 'to.' 

17 16, 'Goose-house' should be 'Goose-tank.' 

48 9, ' forthnight ' should be ' fortnight.' 

48 19, 'childlike' should be 'child-like.' 

50 2, marginal note should be 'The Perfect Man.' 

52 5, ' boyond ' should be ' beyond.' 

58 11, 'Gunas' should be ' Guna.' 

64 15, ' Uncondiated ' should be 'Unconditioned.' 

64 18, ' Unconditined ' " " 

68 30, ' effacemcnt ' should be ' effacement.' 

69 marginal note, ' Parinamavada, and the ' should be ' Parinama- 
vada, the.' 

69 30, 'consciousneess' should be 'consciousness.' 

77 26, ' thought it is as ' should be ' thought it as.' 

80 10, 'river side' should be 'river-side.' 

98 20, marginal note should be ' One God with Different Names.' 

99 2, marginal note should be 'The Dualist or the Bhakta.' 
106 34, 'King of Kings' should be 'King of kings.' 

110 28, ' Non-atachment ' should be 'Non-attachment.' 
113 8, 'Ineeed' should be 'Indeed.' 

113 32, 'puming' should be 'puffing.' 

115 26, 'loose' should be 'lose.' 

116 19, ' devetee ' should be 'devotee.' 

117 9, 'fool moon' should be 'full moon.* 
H9 30, 'Eternity' should be 'Eternity'.' 
124 3, ' bofore ' should be 'before.' 

144 29, 'rooms to to the' should be 'rooms to the.' 

147 2, title line, 'Modern' should be 'European.' 

1 78 5, marginal note should be ' How to Pray.' 

179 15, 'Precdptor* should be 'Preceptor.' 

179 21, 'Goddes' should be 'Goddess.' 

179 38, 'iu' should be 'in.' 

182 39, ' medcine ' should be 'medicine.' 

184 15, marginal note should be 'Contradiction or Harmony.' 

199 28, 'loose' should be 'lose.' 

201 3, ' dovotees ' should be 'devotees.' 

236 18, 'Universe, with' should be 'Universe, with.' 

237 19, 'cooly' should be 'coolly.' 

244 25, ' good-bye ? ! ' should be ' good-bye ? ' ' 



MAY 25 W 2 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

111 

027 276 209 



